Don't Give Up
by Twisted GH
Summary: 2006 "Listen up, doc." Jason shuts the door firmly behind him, locking gazes with Patrick. "You're gonna tell me what I want to know about Elizabeth. One way or the other, I'm gonna get it out of you."..."She's dying." Patrick concedes, staring down the barrel of Jason's gun. "She doesn't have much time."
1. Chapter 1

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

When faced with your own mortality, how does one react? Does the way one person react really reflect on how another would react, given the same situation? Or, does the way someone react vary in regard to the person themselves and what matters to them at the heart of it all?

Apparently, given a sure death sentence, Elizabeth Webber copes by sitting on the Elm Street Pier, staring out at the water as ships come and go. For five hours, she has done nothing but sit there and imagine a world without her in it.

Where her son will end up, if she even knew anyone she trusted enough to watch over him, and - most importantly - would he even know her when he gets older. Will he remember her or will his knowledge of her only stem from what others tell him?

These are the kinds of questions that plague her mind as she sits on that bench staring out at the water. As thoughts of her son flood her mind, she thinks of all the things she'll miss when she's gone. Birthdays, significant milestones like his first date, his senior prom, graduation...the list goes on. His wedding, the birth of his first child, and many more accomplishments that she couldn't even imagine.

Will he be a doctor or a lawyer? A carpenter or an architect? Will he delve into the art world the way she had only dreamt of or would he be a scientist? Will he grow to be a lot like her or a lot like Zander? Or maybe both? Will he be a vegetarian? Will he own his own business? So many questions that could only be answered if she's there to see it all.

That's not even taking into account the other children she had wished to have in the future. So many things she still had left to live for and its all cut short by the many terrible decisions from her past. How could it be possible that all those seemingly logical decisions turn on her now and cause the imminent end of her life? It just isn't fair. Then again, life isn't fair.

"Elizabeth, hey, I've been looking everywhere for you." her best friend, Emily, comes walking down the stairs, forcing her to swipe at her tears before rising to her feet. "You okay? You look like you've been crying?"

"No, I'm fine." she assures, smiling slightly to help sell it. "Just needed a breath of fresh air."

"Figured as much." Emily smiles slightly, looking out at the water. "It seems like the best place to relax doesn't it? The sound of the water always helps me to unwind."

"Me, too." Elizabeth agrees, waiting for Emily to look at her again before continuing. "You said you were trying to find me?"

"Oh, right, I almost forgot." Emily laughs softly, tearing her gaze from the water. "I guess this place can do that to a person."

"Yeah, that's why I like it."

"So, anyway, I was talking to Robin earlier and Patrick came over asking about you." Emily explains, gesturing for them to sit down. "He seemed pretty rattled, but he wouldn't tell me what was going on. Only that he needed to talk to you."

"It probably has to do with a patient." Elizabeth offers, even if she knew the true reason for Patrick needing to find her. "I'll give him a call later."

"Anyway, Patrick's need to talk to you made me realize that we haven't really hung out all the much lately." Emily concedes, looking at Elizabeth a little apologetically. "I was hoping that I could come by the house tonight for dinner. Its been a while since I've seen Cam."

"I'm sure he'd love that." Elizabeth smiles, shaking her head before glancing down at her watch. "Which reminds me, I have to go pick him up from Gram's house."

"So, dinner?"

"Yeah, dinner, for sure." Elizabeth agrees, rising to her feet before hugging Emily goodbye. "If you see Patrick before I have a chance to call him, let him know that I will call him, okay?"

"Will do."

Watching her leave, Emily couldn't help but have a weird feeling that something was off with Elizabeth. It wasn't in anything she said or didn't say, but the way she spoke. Something about it just didn't sit well with her and she wondered if it was even her place to pick it apart and find out just what was going on.

Taking one last look at the water, she makes her way back to her, needing to get back to the hospital to finish off her shift. She had taken her lunch hour to track down Elizabeth, the look on Patrick's face had told her that it was pretty urgent, which compelled her to track down her best friend. What she had expected was to be left with more questions than answers.

"Hey, Emily, did you find Elizabeth?" Patrick corners her as she walks off the elevator. "I know I must sound crazy, but I just really need to talk to her."

"Its okay, I understand how it gets when it comes to our patients." Emily assures, smiling slightly. "No need to explain."

"Patients?"

"That's why you want to talk to her, right?" Emily questions him with a curious look. "I told her about you looking for her and she said it was probably about a patient."

"Oh, yeah, right." Patrick shakes his head, running his hand through his hair. "Its about a patient of mine...did she say if she'd be coming to see me or..."

"She said she'll call you." Emily concedes, walking past Patrick to the nurses' station to get a file on one of her patients. "Must be a pretty important case for you to be so in a hurry. Anything I can help with?"

"No...no, I just...did she say when she'd call?" Patrick asks anxiously. "Its just that I really need some information that only she can give me."

"I don't know." Emily shook her head. "She just said that she'd call you...she didn't give specifics. Are you sure I can't help you with your patient?"

"No, no...I just...thanks, Emily." Patrick smiles slightly, reaching over and taking one of his patient's charts. "I really appreciate it...see you later."

"Patrick, is everything okay?" Emily pushes as Patrick walks onto the elevator. "I mean, your patient's not dying are they?"

"I hope not." Patrick admits, hitting the button for his floor. "Thanks, again, Emily."

As the doors close, Emily's weird feeling starts to grow, making her grow even more curious as to what's really going on with Elizabeth and - to a lesser extent - Patrick. Something was definitely going on, something urgent from Patrick's demeanor, but what?

"What was that all about?" Robin questions Emily as she walks over to her.

"Honestly?" Emily replies, shaking her head. "I have no idea. Something about one of his patient's, I think."

"I have never seen Patrick like that before." Robin comments, flipping through a patient chart. "If this is about a patient, it must be a really tricky case to have him so rattled."

"Yeah...maybe." Emily says simply. "I should get back to my rounds."

"Yeah, me, too."

Across town, as Emily and Robin get back to work, Elizabeth is putting her son down for his nap, only this nap time is different than before. Instead of laying him down to sleep like she always does, Elizabeth lays down beside him in bed, holding him close as he lays fast asleep in her arms. As much as she wanted to walk out of the room like she always does, she couldn't help it. She just couldn't walk out.

"I love you, sweetheart." she whispers, gently running her fingers through his hair. "I hope you'll always remember that...I hope you'll always remember me."


	2. Chapter 2

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

**_Previously on Don't Give Up:_**

**_Across town, as Emily and Robin get back to work, Elizabeth is putting her son down for his nap, only this nap time is different than before. Instead of laying him down to sleep like she always does, Elizabeth lays down beside him in bed, holding him close as he lays fast asleep in her arms. As much as she wanted to walk out of the room like she always does, she couldn't help it. She just couldn't walk out._**

**_"I love you, sweetheart." she whispers, gently running her fingers through his hair. "I hope you'll always remember that...I hope you'll always remember me."_**

After a while, Elizabeth finally pulls herself out of her son's bed, leaving him to sleep in peace as she makes her way downstairs. In spite of all the emotions running through her, in spite of all the things she'll be missing that she can't help but think of now, there were still things she had to handle before she passes away. Things that she could no longer put off to a later date.

Walking to her desk downstairs, Elizabeth rifles through the lawyers that she knows, trying to find the one person she could trust to do this for her. The first one that pops up is Ric, but that thought was quickly discarded as she remembers all the reasons why that wasn't a good idea. Then there's Alexis, right away she felt a bit of a conflict of interest, seeing as she slept with the man that her daughter's in love with. Yeah, Alexis is definitely out.

Strange how the two best lawyers she knows both present a conflict of interest in their own separate ways. Not to mention that both lawyers just happen to be married to each other and Elizabeth used to be married to Ric...yeah, if that's not a conflict of interest, she doesn't know what is.

No. In order to pull this off, she needs a lawyer outside of Port Charles, a lawyer that has no ties to anyone in town and who will uphold the attorney-client privilege, even after her death. She needs a lawyer that's to the point and doesn't mess around. But where can she find a lawyer like that?

Walking over to her laptop, Elizabeth brings up her web browser, hoping that with some stroke of luck, maybe she'll be able to find a lawyer online. Looking through webpage after webpage, Elizabeth was beginning to lose hope that she'll find a lawyer this way when she pulled up a site profile on Diane Miller.

It was a long shot, but on her profile it states that she sometimes takes cases at a lower rate than her usual high rollers. From the looks of it, she's exactly the kind of lawyer that Elizabeth needs. Between her credentials and the possibility of meeting Elizabeth's financial budget, this lady just might be the lawyer to answer her prayers. Well, some of them, at least.

Sending Diane an email, detailing exactly what she needed from a lawyer, to an extent, Elizabeth hits the send before shutting her laptop and getting the ingredients ready for dinner. With Emily coming over, she wants to put together a dinner more elaborate than a TV dinner for her and some chicken nuggets for Cameron.

By the time she made a decision on what she wanted to make and got the ingredients together to get started, her son comes walking downstairs looking for her. With a slight smile, she wipes her hands on the wash cloth before walking out to meet him in the living room, swiftly picking him up into her arms.

Placing a soft kiss on his forehead, Elizabeth carries him into the kitchen, setting him up on his high chair with his coloring book and crayons before getting started on dinner, listening as he rambles on and on about the elephant he's coloring.

He's getting clearer and clearer with his words, which made her enjoy listening to him more and more. Completely amazed by how fast he's learning and how smart he's become. Compared to a lot of kids his age, Cameron has been advancing a lot faster than she could have ever imagined. Making her wish she could be there to see just how advanced he'll become and where that'll take him.

"Elizabeth, I know I'm early, but I thought I'd help with dinner." Emily's voice travels to her from the front door. "You in the kitchen?"

"Yeah!" she calls back, swiping at the tears that have found their way to her eyes. "We're in the kitchen."

"Oh, hey, Cam." Emily walks over to him, a bright smile on her face. "How's my favorite little guy doing?"

"I'm coloring." he points at the picture with such excitement only a kid nearing three years old can perfect.

"I can see that." Emily laughs softly, looking at the very colorful animal. "And it looks beautiful. I guess that means you're gonna be an artist like your mama, huh?"

"He can be anything he wants to be, right, Cam?" Elizabeth counters, a soft smile on her lips, turning away as she feels more tears coming to her eyes.

"Liz, you okay?" Emily questions, walking over to her after placing a soft kiss on Cameron's forehead. "You look like you're about to cry."

"I'm fine, Emily." Elizabeth insists, turning on the water to wash off the vegetables. "I was just slicing onions and my eyes are stinging a little."

"Are you sure that's all it is?" Emily counters, turning her around to look at her. "Because this is the second time I've found you with tears in your eyes. If there's more to it, you know you can talk to me, Liz. I'm here for you, no matter what."

"Its nothing, Emily, I swear." Elizabeth gives her the best smile she could give, sighing inwardly at the sound of a knock at her door. "Look, I should go check who that is. Can you just finish washing off the vegetables for me?"

"Sure." Emily shakes her head, watching Elizabeth wipe her hands off on the wash rag. "I'll take care of it."

"Thanks."

Walking out of the room, Elizabeth makes her way to the front door, only to end up wishing that she hadn't when she finds Patrick on the other side of her door. Glancing back at the kitchen, Elizabeth moves him further back onto the porch as she walks out of the house, shutting the door behind her. She couldn't handle a visit from him right now. Not with Emily just inside and easily within hearing range.

"What are you doing here, Patrick?" Elizabeth looks at him disbelievingly, wishing he'd act just a little more professional than he has been lately. Though, a part of her should have taken their friendship into consideration when she had went to him for the tests in the first place.

"I need you to let me help you." Patrick insists, looking at her almost desperately. "You matter to too many people to give up now. Please, you have to let me consult other doctors. There could be a treatment out there that I'm not aware of, a treatment that could work."

"You don't believe that anymore than I do." she states seriously, looking him directly in the eye. "We've gone over this from every angle, Patrick. There's no getting around the inevitable. As long as you can't operate, there's nothing more you or anyone else can do for me."

"Maybe if we consult Robin, maybe she can come up with a cocktail to help shrink the masses enough to operate." Patrick suggests, needing some kind of hope, any kind of hope in order to save her. "There has to be something! This can't be it!"

"I can appreciate why you're pushing this so hard, I really can. If it were you, I'd feel the same way." Elizabeth concedes, letting out a deep sigh before shaking her head. "But I've seen my scans and I know enough to know when its time to just accept what is. There are too many masses in my brain that, even on the off chance that you could operate, it would take nothing short of a miracle to get them all out and save my life."

"I've performed countless surgeries that were too critical to take on and all my patients survived!" Patrick blurts out, unable to accept this is all he could do for her. "I've saved people from the brink of death who are now leading rather successful lives years later. You can't make me believe that this is all I can do for you! I refuse to believe that all I can do is sit back and watch you die!"

"I've come to terms with what is, Patrick, and you should, too." Elizabeth swipes at the tears falling down her cheeks. "A human body can only take so much before it just gives up and that's what mine has done. I know its hard, but you just have to accept that you can't save everyone. That you can't save me."

"I can't accept it." Patrick takes in a shaky breath before fixing his expression to display the most sincere look he had ever truly meant. "I won't accept it."

"I'll just see you at work tomorrow." she says plainly, pushing open the door before looking at him seriously. "Hopefully you'll come to realize what I have and just accept that my time's up."

"Hope for something else because I'm not giving up on you." he says wholeheartedly, making sure she gets just how personal he's taking this. "I'm going to find a way to save you. Someway, somehow, I will save you."

"Goodbye, Patrick."

Turning her back on him, Elizabeth walks back into her house, shutting the door behind her before making her way to bathroom. She had to fix herself up before going back into the kitchen to start on dinner. She wishes that there was a miracle to save her just as much as Patrick wishes for one, but there comes a point when you just can't fight the truth. When everything piles up and only one outcome can be derived from it.

That outcome being her death. So, as much as she wanted to hold out hope, she had to be realistic and that meant doing things to prepare for what's undoubtedly coming. That means making sure that her son will be taken care of and will grow up to lead a long healthy life. No matter how much she wishes she could be a part of it, she has to think like a mother and ensure her son's future. Even if its without her.

"Who was at the door?" Emily questions when she walks back into the kitchen.

"It was just Patrick." Elizabeth says simply, moving to heat the oven. "He just wanted to go over a treatment option to see if it would be viable for one of his patients."

"And is it viable?"

"Unfortunately, no." Elizabeth sighs, getting started on laying out the layers for the lasagna. "There really isn't much we can do for his patient."

"I'm so sorry."

"So am I." Elizabeth agrees, taking a deep breath before shaking her head. "Believe me, so am I."


	3. Chapter 3

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Running a weary hand down his face, Patrick sits up at his office computer, going over Elizabeth's MRI scans for what felt like the millionth time. There had to be something, anything, that could give him an idea as to what he can do to help her.

The more he stared at the images, though, the more he began to lose hope. If this were any other patient, he'd be calling it, giving them the bad news and letting them cope with the results. Only Elizabeth isn't just any patient and he couldn't bring himself to call it quits.

"Come in." he calls out when there's a knock at his door, a little surprised when he sees Robin walking into his office.

"Forgive me for saying this, but you look like a mess." Robin comments, closing the door behind her as she walks further into the office. "Did you even go home last night?"

"I didn't even realize it was morning." Patrick concedes, glancing at the clock on the wall and seeing that it was just about time for him to be back on his rotation. "I can't believe I've spent the whole night staring at these scans and have yet to come up with anything useful."

"Maybe a fresh pair of eyes could help." Robin suggests, smiling slightly as she gets closer to his desk. "I can take a look at your scans if you want."

"No!" Patrick blurts out, quickly moving the screen from her view. "You can't help me."

"Whoa, okay." Robin steps back, more than a little confused by his reaction. "You usually ask for my help with hard cases. I just assumed...you know what, forget I even suggested it. I'll just see you later."

"Wait." Patrick sighs, shaking his head as he rises to his feet. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. Its just that this patient made it very clear that she didn't want anyone else working on her case. I know that's no excuse, I just..."

"I get it." Robin assures, granting him a reassuring smile. "I understand the need for privacy and you're right. Patients expect a certain level of confidentiality when receiving treatment from their doctors. Its okay."

"Thank you for understanding." Patrick says appreciatively, walking around his desk to lean against it as he talks to her. "Honestly, a part of me wishes that I could show you the scans. I wish I could consult other doctors, even, but my patient is adamant that I let it go."

"Will the decision to not consult other doctors do more harm than good?"

"If I can't find a way to save her, it'll no longer be a matter of if she'll die, but when." Patrick says gravely. "I've tried every way to get through to her, but she's simply accepted that this is it and fighting it is a futile battle."

"Have you taken into consideration that maybe she wants to die?" Robin suggests, looking at him intently. "I've known some patients who have taken a death sentence as an easy way out."

"She wants to live, I know that much." Patrick had seen it clear in her eyes, a look that has pushed him even harder in the fight to save her. "She just doesn't think that there's much more I can do."

"Can you give me a print out of her scans?" Robin questions, getting a sick feeling that she knows the patient that has Patrick so rattled.

"As much as I want to, I already told you..."

"You can remove any identifying information." Robin points out. "I can see how deeply this case is affecting you and I'd like to help if I can."

"Robin, I..."

"You said that not consulting other doctors would pretty much ensure the death of your patient, right?" Robin pushes further, staring him into the eyes. "Let me help you help your patient, Patrick. Please."

"Okay." Patrick sighs, knowing that he really didn't have any other option at this point. "I'll have the scans printed out for you soon. Right now, I really need to get some coffee."

"I'm gonna be working the sixth floor." Robin says as she pulls open the door. "Come find me when you get it printed out."

Walking out of his office, Robin makes her way to the sixth floor where she's supposed to pick up her patient roster. She was told that she had a few patients arrived the night before who would need a consultation with her. Arriving at the nurses' station to get her roster, she's greeted by a friendly face. Elizabeth.

"Hey, Liz." Robin greets her, smiling softly. "Can I get my patient roster for today?"

"Um, sure." Elizabeth rifles through the clipboards that are on the desk. "Here it is."

"Actually, this is Kelly's patient roster." Robin hands it back to her, looking at her a little curiously. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just didn't get much sleep last night, sorry." Elizabeth sighs, rifling through it again, doing her best to focus on the doctor's name. "Here it is."

"That's okay." Robin assures, flipping through her list before shaking her head. "If you think you're bad, you should see Patrick. Whoever this mystery patient is that you are both consulting on, it must be really complex if it has you both losing sleep."

"Yeah, you could say that." Elizabeth takes a deep breath before picking up a patient file. "Anyway, I should go start my rounds. See you later, Robin."

"Yeah, okay."

Leaving Robin a little more curious about her than she'd like, Elizabeth makes her way down the halls of the hospital to jot down vital signs of her patients while seeing how they're doing overall with their stay in the hospital. More than anything, she tries to make her patients smile, knowing that almost all of them find hospital visits uncomfortable at best.

"Elizabeth, hey!" Emily catches her walking out of a patient's room. "Dinner last night was the best. I just can't believe how fast Cameron's growing. Before you know it, he's gonna be a man of his own."

"Don't remind me." Elizabeth replies, heading out to the nurses' station to drop off the chart, Emily following close by. "In the blink of an eye I went from changing his diapers to arguing the point on why candy isn't a major food group and thus cannot make up an entire meal."

"I see I've taught him well." she laughs softly, watching as Elizabeth rifles through more charts before selecting a couple. "You know, if you ever need a day to yourself, I'd gladly babysit him."

"Be careful what you wish for." Elizabeth tries for light humor, smiling slightly as she walks out from behind the desk. "I really should get back to work, Em. We'll talk more later, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." Emily shakes her head, moving to steady Elizabeth when she falters slightly. "Whoa, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just a little lightheaded because I skipped breakfast this morning." Elizabeth defends, fixing herself up before standing across from Emily. "Really, Em, its nothing."

"Why don't you let me buy you something to eat?" Emily suggests, getting a strange feeling that just wouldn't sit well with her, a feeling that there was more to it than just a missed meal. "I'm sure its just about time for you to take your lunch break."

"Seriously, Emily, I'm fine." Elizabeth waves away her offer, holding the charts tightly. "I'll just see you later, okay? I really need to finish my rounds before I start organizing the files behind the counter."

Walking away, leaving yet another one of her friends a little more curious than she'd like, Elizabeth rushes to get out of Emily's sight before leaning against the wall, her migraine hitting her harder than ever before. Shutting her eyes tight, she tries to take deep breaths in and out, hoping it would help ease the pain. Turning her back to the wall, she slumps down it, the pain just too much to bear.

She barely notices as Patrick rushes to her side, lifting her up into his arms and carries her into a vacant exam room, laying her down once he has the door shut behind him. Right away he gets to work on relieving the pain.

Shutting the blinds to prevent the sun from shining into the room before getting a warm rag and putting it over the part of her head that she points out to be the most painful. Going old school, he starts to massage the back of her neck, hoping to get her blood flowing more smoothly, aiding in the relieving of her migraine.

"Thank you, Patrick." she whispers as slowly but surely the pain starts to subside. "I tried to get it to go away on my own."

"Here, take this." Patrick hands her a couple pain killers. "It should help now that the pain isn't as severe."

"What, you're not going to use this to your advantage?" Elizabeth counters, taking the pills and washing it down with a cup of water. "You're not going to tell me that I should just listen to you and do ask you suggest?"

"I'm not going to take advantage of your pain." Patrick states plainly, tossing the cup when she hands it back to him. "Just because I want to save your life, it doesn't mean I'm going to resort to something as crude as that."

"Sorry." she sighs, running one hand through her hair. "I'm sorry...I don't know where that came from."

"Its okay." he moves to sit beside her, slinging one arm across her shoulders. "First and foremost, I'm your friend. I'm not here to judge you. I just want to save you."

"I should get back to work." Elizabeth says, slowly rising to her feet before turning around and kissing his cheek. "Thank you, again. I know its not much, but - in a way - you did save me. I was starting to believe that the migraine would kill me until you showed up. So, thanks."

"Thank me when I find a way to save you completely." Patrick says simply, rising to his feet, meeting her eye for eye. "And I will find a way, Elizabeth. Trust that."

"See you later, Patrick." she gives as her reply before turning on her heels and walking out the door.

Finding her charts before continuing her shift, knowing that Patrick wasn't about to give up any time soon and she just didn't have it in her to argue the point anymore. She was going to need whatever energy she has left to finish her shift. Which, at this rate, really wasn't much.


	4. Chapter 4

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

What do you do when you know something's wrong with your best friend yet you have no idea what that is? You have no idea how significant the problem is or how severe the consequences are if you do something about it or not?

These are the thoughts that have plagued Emily since she spoke to Elizabeth at the hospital. She may not be the best at reading people, but she knew Elizabeth well enough to know when she's hiding something. How big of a something is the question now.

Making her way to Kelly's, she sits at a corner table, ordering her usual before proceeding to think about Elizabeth more and more. Something in her body language, adding the two times she has seen her with tears in her eyes, and Emily knew that her time in figuring out how to handle this was running out.

One meal and three cups of coffee later and she was still at a loss on how to handle the situation that she has undoubtedly found herself in. Paying her bill, she secures her coat around her before walking out into the town, a thought hitting her like a ton of bricks.

When things get complicated, when things get out of her control and she doesn't know what to do next, there's one person she can always count on to help her sort things out and figure out the best move to make. That person being her brother, Jason. If anyone can help her now, its him.

Stopping by the penthouse first, she finds that he's not there, making her way to Sonny's place, a part of her wishing that she didn't have to go there, but he's the only person that can tell her where her brother is and she needs the information now, not later.

"Emily." Sonny greets in surprise when he opens his door to find her standing at his doorstep.

"Hi, Sonny." Emily replies with a slight smile, walking inside when he steps aside to allow her entrance. "I won't take up much of your time, I know you're a busy man."

"Its okay." Sonny waves away her concern. "How are you?"

"I'm okay." Emily assures, glancing around the place before looking at him again. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm assuming that Jason's out of town and I was wondering if you knew when he'd be back."

"You're not wrong." Sonny concedes, still more than a little affected by her presence. "And I'm not sure when he'll be back. It could be a couple days, it could be a couple weeks. Its hard to estimate with an assignment like this."

"Well, when he calls you to check in, can you let him know that I need to talk to him?" Emily requests, hating that her brother had to be out of town right now. "Its really important."

"Why? Is everything okay?" Sonny looks at her with curiosity, getting the strange feeling that something was up.

"With me? Yeah, everything's fine." Emily waves away his concern for her. "I just need his advice on something. So, will you let him know I need to talk to him?"

"Yeah, of course." Sonny shakes his head. "I'll let him know as soon as he calls to check in."

"Great...thanks." Emily walks over to the door before turning to look back at Sonny. "Tell him that I don't care what time it is when he calls. I need to talk to him sooner rather than later."

"Sure."

Watching her walk out the door, Sonny couldn't help but feel the strange need to get Jason on the phone right away. Whatever was going on with Emily, it was evident that she wasn't going to talk to him about it and he'd rather Jason get to the bottom if quickly before finishing off his assignment.

Making his way into his home office, Sonny dials Stan's number, ordering him to get a fix on Jason's whereabouts and call him back immediately. If he can get a fix on Jason's twenty, then he can decide on a way to get the message to Jason.

"Sam." Sonny greets after he pulls open the door to find her standing there, wondering if this was a day for his exes, hoping that Carly doesn't come knocking once Sam leaves. "Come in."

"Thanks." Sam walks past him into the house, following him into the family room. "Was that Emily I saw leaving the driveway?"

"Yeah, she needs to talk to Jason." Sonny admits, not needing anything else to pulled up because of her visit. In some ways Sam is just like Carly and he didn't need word getting around that he and Emily were even considering getting back together. "Said something about needing his advice on something."

"Did you tell her that he's out of town?"

"She knew that already." Sonny pours her a glass of water before handing it to her and sitting down. "She just wanted me to get word to him."

"All due respect to Jason's sister and all, but she should know that his mind should be focused on his assignment and not on what's going on here at home." Sam points out, taking a drink of water before setting it down. "Everything Jason does is life and death when he's out there. I'd hate to think what'll happen because his mind wasn't in it."

"Jason's the best at compartmentalizing." Sonny defends, shaking his head at her suggestion. "Besides, despite anything he may be doing, Jason would want to know if his sister needs his help."

"I guess you're right."

"I know I'm right." Sonny retorts, looking at her curiously. "Was there a point to this visit, Sam?"

"Just wanted to know if you knew when he'd be back, that's all." Sam says, rising to her feet. "Force of habit, I guess. Anyway, I'm just gonna get going."

"Sam, wait." Sonny rises to his feet, meeting her at the door. "How's Alexis doing?"

"She's hanging in there." Sam smiles slightly. "I have no idea how she does it...staying so strong like she is."

"That's Alexis for you." Sonny smiles fondly, pulling open the door for her. "Let her know I said I'm pulling for her."

"I will." Sam assures, leaning in and hugging him slightly. "See you later, Sonny."

"Yeah, sure."

Watching her get into her car and drive away, Sonny waits a few beats, making sure that none of his other exes find today a good day to visit him before shutting his door and walking back into his office. He barely makes it through the door when the phone rings, it being Stan with information on Jason's last known whereabouts.

Ending the call quickly, Sonny estimates the probability that Jason would have his burn phone on him. Liking the odds, he leaves a simple message for him to contact Emily as soon as possible, leaving the code phrase that marks the message as urgent.

Hopefully he'll get it sooner rather than later and thus easing Emily's worries by giving her a call. Something's definitely going on with her and he hopes that - above all else - a phone call from Jason will be the ticket to solve her problems.


	5. Chapter 5

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Gun in hand, the infamous stone cold glare in his eyes, Jason fixes his gaze on his latest problem. The more he delved into this problem, the more problems seemed to arise, all of which should come to an end once he puts an end to the head of the betrayal. He's about to question the man further on the men that are working beneath him when his burn phone buzzes in his pants.

"Saved by the buzz." Jason states plainly, setting his gun down on the wooden work bench before checking his phone. His sister. Of course. "You just got a reprieve. Relax, it won't last long."

Walking out of the abandoned warehouse, he shuts the door behind him, needing to find out what's going on with his sister before he could even think about finishing his job. From Sonny's message, Jason could tell that something big was up, mostly because whatever irritation he may have felt about them being anywhere near each other disappeared once the urgent code phrase was uttered.

"Hello?" his sister's voice answers on the other end of the line. "Jason, is that you?"

"Yeah, its me." he replies, right off the back he could sense the anxiety in her voice, making him even more concerned for her. "You okay?"

"Me? I'm fine." Emily assures, realizing that Sonny must have made it sound like she was the one in trouble. "I just kind of, sort of, need your advice."

"You just kind of, sort of, need my advice about what, exactly?"

"About a friend." Emily says carefully, taking a deep breath, trying to figure out how to word it. "Say someone you care about has been acting strangely, completely unlike themselves, but they keep insisting that they're alright and they don't need your help. Only you know that there's something wrong and you want to help, but you don't know what's wrong exactly or even how you can help."

"Okay." Jason scratches his eyebrow, not having understood a single word she had said after _about a friend_. "Take a deep breath and start from the beginning. Who's this about?"

"Elizabeth." Emily concedes, unknowingly gaining Jason's completely undivided attention by the mention of her best friend. "Something's going on with her. I just don't know what or how I can help because she won't talk to me about it. She keeps insisting that nothing's wrong and that everything's fine, but I know its not."

"What makes you think anything's wrong?" he counters, pacing the ground outside the warehouse.

"Its random things, really." Emily admits, not really sure if it'll sound any better out loud than it did in her head. "I found her crying on the docks and she was almost in tears at her house, but she blamed it on cutting onions. Only she doesn't even like eating onions and I doubt Cam would eat them."

"That's it?" Jason counters, his concern lessening a little. "You're concerned because she might have been crying twice?"

"Like I said, its random things." Emily sighs, running one hand through her hair. "I'm really worried about her, Jason. Please, help me figure out how I can help her."

"I don't know what to tell you, Em." Jason shakes his head, glancing back at the warehouse door. "Look, I'll be back tomorrow. When I get back, I'll talk to Elizabeth and, if something's going on with her, I'll handle it, okay?"

"Are you sure?" Emily couldn't help but find hope in his willingness to help Elizabeth. "From what Sonny said, it didn't seem like you'd be back so soon."

"You let me worry about that." Jason says simply, realizing he's gonna have to step it up if he's gonna get back home by tomorrow. "I have to go. I'll handle it, Em, okay?"

"Okay." Emily lets out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Jase."

Ending the call, Jason makes his way back into the warehouse to finish the job he had went there to do, knowing that he would have to do this a lot more painfully than he had intended, in order to get this job done and make his way back home.

It was strange because he didn't really believe that anything was really wrong with Elizabeth, but the tone of his sister's voice just peaked his curiosity. A curiosity that would only be squelched by seeing Elizabeth for himself and knowing that she was okay, for sure.

While he's getting back to work, Elizabeth is relaxing in a warm bubble bath, hoping that the tension in her body would subside as she relaxes in the warmth of the water. The warm rag that Patrick had put on her head helped more than she had realized it would and she hopes that it would do the same for the rest of her aching body.

"Hello?" she answers her phone when it rings on the side table. "No, yeah...I'll be right there."

She's about to get out of the bathtub when she hears a muffled argument going on between Epiphany and a voice that she can only think of as being Patrick. After a short time, Epiphany gets back on the phone, cancelling her previous request for her to come in because they were short handed.

"What?" Elizabeth couldn't believe her ears. "You just said to come in."

"You worked a full shift and you agreed to stick to that." Patrick's the one to talk now, obviously Epiphany has walked off. "You'll have enough work tomorrow. Tonight, you focus on relaxing and spending time with your son."

"Patrick, I need the hours."

"I'll make you a deal." Patrick counters, seriousness filling his voice. "You come in for the extra hours and I'll consult as many doctors as I want. Your choice."

"That's not fair."

"Yeah, well, neither is you going back on your word." Patrick counters. "The hospital will be fine without you for the night. Goodnight, Nurse Webber."

"Goodnight, Doctor Drake."

Ending the call, Elizabeth sets the phone back down on the side table before relaxing back into her bathtub. She knew that he would pull that card sooner or later, she just hoped it wouldn't be to stop her from making more hours. She needed as much money as she can get to pay off whatever debts she had left with enough to spare for her son.

After a while, her body thoroughly relaxed, Elizabeth pulls herself out of the bathtub and dries off. As much as she wanted the hours, she had to accept that she had made a deal with Patrick and she had to stick to it. Plus, who was she to argue with more time with her son. So, making her way to his bedroom, Elizabeth sits by in the rocking chair, watching over him as he sleeps peacefully in bed. Hoping that, however this ends up, he'll be okay.


	6. Chapter 6

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Setting her large to-go coffee cup on the tray cart, Robin slides the scans into place, preparing to go over all the scans that Patrick has given her on his mystery patient. Notebooks laid out in front of her, pens right beside it, she flips the light switch to get started and right away she almost falls off her seat. Looking at the first set of scans, complex didn't even begin to cover it.

If the first scans are to be used as a sign, Robin could tell that this was going to be a long night and probably a long morning as well. Staring at the scans for a moment, she could almost feel that sinking feeling setting into her stomach, turning everything into knots. Whoever this woman was, it was going to take a lot...it was going to take a miracle to save her.

Taking a deep breath, she starts going through the scans, checking the rate of growth to see if they were progressively growing at a steady rate or if they had begin to lessen any over time. From Patrick's side notes, it was evident that the masses were malignant. The question now is if there's a possible protocol to shrink the masses in order to operate.

Jotting down the rate of growth, Robin proceeds to see if Patrick would have to remove all by operation or if some could be taken care of by chemo once the patient was strong enough to undergo treatment after the surgery.

Whoever this patient is, she knows one thing to stand true, she has to do whatever it takes to help her. One look at the scans and any doctor could tell that the patient was suffering in ways that no human being should ever suffer. So, no matter what it takes, Robin has to find a way to help Patrick save this woman. She has to.

While she's working her angle, Patrick's pulling another all nighter in his office, going over the scans and medical information for the thousandth time. There had to be something that he's missing, something vital, the key to saving Elizabeth. But what?

Pouring a cup of coffee from his brand new coffee pot, recently purchasing it with the knowledge that he'd be needing a lot more coffee than ever before, he sits a his desk, staring at the same scans and files that have literally taken over his entire life. He can't even remember the last time he's been to Jake's or the last woman he's slept with since diagnosing Elizabeth.

Shaking his head at the thought, he returns his thoughts to the scans, pulling up some of the research that he's been able to dig up on related cases. They weren't exactly the same, but in cases like this they rarely are. Subtly similarities is enough to make him dig further. Needing to see if there was any merit to the way the doctors diagnosed their patients and the treatment derived from it.

"Hey, I think I've got something." Robin blurts out as she walks into his office around two o'clock in the morning.

"Wha...how did you know I was here?" Patrick looks at her curiously, almost certain that no one knew he was in his office.

"Really?" Robin arches her eyebrow. "You're really asking me that question?"

"Right." he shakes his head, knowing it wasn't the point at the moment. "What do you have?"

"Well, I was looking over the scans and I think I've found a way for you to operate." Robin says as she puts the scans up on the screen. "These masses, here, here and here, aren't growing like the others. In every scan you've taken over the last month, they remain the same size."

"How did I miss that?" Patrick rises from his seat to walk over to the screen, realizing she was right. "That would mean that they aren't as critical as the others."

"Which also means that they can be left alone for now while you work on the others." Robin points out, switching the scans for the most recent ones. "If you can get a biopsy on these masses here and here, I can do my best to create a protocol that would attack those cells specifically."

"Yeah...yeah, that could work." Patrick glances at her, a slight smile on her face. "Thank you for this."

"Of course, in order to come up with the most effective protocol, I'll need medical history." Robin points out, arching her eyebrow curiously. "I'll need to narrow down the possible causes for the masses and proceed from there."

"You know I can't do that."

"What's more important, Patrick?" Robin counters. "Keeping your patient's identity a secret or possibly saving her life?"

"I'll get back to you, okay?" Patrick concedes, knowing that this was Elizabeth's best shot, but the choice was still up to her. "I'm not even supposed to be consulting you on this, Robin. If I give you my patient's information, I could lose my license and that would do nothing to help her."

"Okay." she sighs, taking a step back. "I can see how this is."

"Oh, don't go there." Patrick says seriously, almost taking offence with her tone. "I'd gladly torch my license if it meant I'd be saving her life, but I'm the only doctor she's willing to work with. I can't jeopardize her life by being reckless with this. No matter how I feel or what I think.

"Who is she, Patrick?" Robin looks at him with apt curiosity, almost begging him to tell her the truth. "At the very least, tell me if I know her."

"I'll talk to her about your findings and - if she agrees to it - I'll let you know." Patrick shuts off the light from the screen before taking down the scans. "That's the best I can do. I'm sorry."

"Patrick." Robin takes hold of his arm, stopping him from leaving. "Do I know her?"

"Thank you for everything, Robin." he leans in, kissing her forehead. "You've given me what I've been searching for since I diagnosed her...you've given me a place to start."

Walking out of his office, leaving the door open, Patrick heads to his car to go home. He figured that a few hours of sleep is better than none and he would need everything he's got in order to convince Elizabeth to give Robin's theory a shot.

With all due respect to Robin, everything she's come up with is circumstantial at best and it was going to take more than that to convince Elizabeth. Hopefully, with all his experience in enticing women, he'll be able to convince Elizabeth that taking this chance was worth the risk.


	7. Chapter 7

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

The plane ride back to town was a long and tedious venture, only one thought on his mind the entire time, getting to Elizabeth and making sure that everything was okay. The more he thought of her, the more he thought of the one night they got to spend together. Despite all the reasons why he knew nothing would come of it, he couldn't stop himself from seizing the opportunity while it was at his feet.

For one night they weren't the people that life has turned them into. They weren't anything that society has claimed them to be. In that moment, in his penthouse, in the dark, they were the two people they always knew each other to be. They were themselves. Something that just wasn't the case anymore.

It seemed that with every passing day, they've gotten further away from the people that they used to be, the people that lived for the rush of riding his motorcycle and chasing the wind. The people that found freedom on that winding road. But not that night. For that one night, during the blackout, they remembered those people. They returned to those people. They embraced those people.

Like every other time before then, the morning light brought with it reality and returned them to the people they have become. The people that worried for those in their lives and regarded others before themselves. They became the people that life turned them into, forced to leave their rare moment behind them and continue on with their lives as if it never happened.

But they both knew better. It did happen and it would always be there. Etched into their history, into the fabric of who they are, forever there for them to look back on. To remember that for a moment, for one night, they were together as one. They were in sync and there would never be regrets. Not for him, at least.

Landing in Port Charles, Jason makes his way to Sonny's place, needing to get his debriefing out of the way so he could concentrate on Elizabeth without getting a call from Sonny. What he wasn't expecting to find when he got there was Sam at Sonny's table with Molly and Kristina.

"Jason." Sam's the first to speak, rising to her feet to look at him. "You're back."

"Yeah...I just got in." Jason concedes, glancing from her to the table before settling on Sonny. "I don't have much time. Can we get this done?"

"Uh, yeah." Sonny shakes his head, realizing that Jason hasn't gone to see Emily. "I'll be right in."

"Okay." Jason looks at Sam before shaking his head and walking back inside.

Despite his best efforts, not to mention best alcohol, he's still unable to remove the image of her with Ric. Hypocritical, sure, but he can't help it. Like his moment with Elizabeth, her moment with Ric will forever be etched in the back of his mind. A constant reminder about what his choices can cause, the absolute worst example of cause and effect he has ever experienced.

"Drink?" Sonny offers when he walks into the room. "Water or soda? Beer?"

"No, thanks." Jason turns down his offer, tossing the file on his desk. "I don't plan on being here long."

"You sure you can't stay for lunch?" Sonny questions, knowing he shouldn't, but doing it anyway. "You know, Sam's been..."

"Don't." Jason says warningly. "We're not having this conversation."

"I know that for me to mention that you should forgive Sam is hypocritical at best." Sonny concedes, having been known to never forgive once betrayed. "But you and Sam are good together and..."

"I'm not going to say it again, Sonny." Jason cuts him off again, really not in the mood to hear him defend Sam. "We're not having this conversation. Not now, not ever. So, drop it."

"Okay, okay." Sonny gives up his attempt at helping either of them. "All I'm gonna say is that the incapability of forgiving someone can hinder your life more than you'd think. Trust me, I should know."

"Dully noted." Jason counters, eyeing him plainly. "Can we get this over with now?"

"Yeah." Sonny sighs, gesturing for them to take a seat. "Sure."

Once they got seated, Jason proceeded to tell Sonny about everything that happened while he was away, letting him know that he had gotten all the information that they needed and that he'd continue to run them down when the opportunity rises. Once the talk of business is handled, Sonny mentions how surprised he was to find that he had finished it so quickly.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Jason makes his way out of the house, avoiding the back patio where Sam and the two girls were, making his exit a quick and quiet one. Getting into his SUV, Jason makes his way to the hospital, having been told that Elizabeth was working her shift that morning.

While he makes his way to the hospital, Elizabeth and Patrick are locked in the argument that Patrick could have sworn he had seen coming from the moment he let Robin help out with her case. He's trying to get her to see that this was a good chance, a viable path to take, that could save her life.

"I'm so tired of having this conversation with you, Patrick." she sighs, rubbing the back of her neck soothingly. "We can go through this whole setup. We can do the biopsy and tell Robin everything...we can hold out hope that she can create a protocol that will help, but one thing still stands."

"And what's that?" he counters with an arched eyebrow, daring her to finish her reasoning.

"The chances of me surviving a brain surgery in my condition are very low." Elizabeth points out, eyeing him intently. "If, by some struck of luck, I do manage to survive past the surgery, there are still many other factors to take into consideration. I don't want to spend whatever time I have left in a hospital bed, Patrick. I refuse to."

"You're also forgetting one thing." Patrick counters seriously. "You're forgetting that this could work! Its Robin we're talking about. Between the three of us, the chances of saving you go up tenfold."

"I know my circumstances better than anyone, including you." Elizabeth shakes her head, really wishing he'd drop it, but knowing he never will. "I also know what my body can take and all the possible ways this can go wrong if I do decide to go through with Robin's idea. Quite frankly, I don't like the odds and I'd rather not die at your hands. You'd never be able to live with that and I won't let you live with it."

"You think I can live with knowing that I wasn't able to save you?"

"Yeah." Elizabeth says matter-of-factly. "You'd never be able to live with seeing me on your operating table, my blood on your hands, and being forced to call time of death."

"But..."

"I'm done talking about this, Patrick." Elizabeth pulls open the door before looking at him. "I'm sorry that I've put you in this position...if I could, I'd go back in time and choose a different doctor. If only to spare you from fighting this so hard."

Leaving Patrick to his thoughts, she gets back to work, needing to keep busy until its time for her to clock out for the day. She felt bad that she had to be so blunt with Patrick, but he had to see that it wouldn't be as easy as he wants it to be. His emotions are getting the best of him and that won't help anything. Least of all, her situation.

"Elizabeth." Jason's voice catches her by surprise as she's about to walk behind the nurses' station.

"Jason." she smiles softly, meeting his eyes. "Hi."

"Hi." he smiles slightly, unable to stop himself from glancing at her lips before meeting her eyes again. "Have you had lunch yet?"

"No, not yet." she admits, shaking her head. "I'm scheduled for my lunch hour in another twenty minutes."

"I can wait." he says simply, watching as realization dawns in her eyes. "How does Kelly's sound?"

"Sounds good." Elizabeth admits, her stomach taking control of that answer, suddenly hungrier than she had been a moment ago. "Are you sure you want to wait, though? I mean, don't you have better things to do?"

"No." he says simply, gesturing over to the waiting area. "I'll be over there. Okay?"

"Okay." she says softly, a small smile on her lips as he walks over to the waiting area to sit down. Making her realize that he was being serious and that he's really going wait twenty minutes to have lunch with her. A thought that made it almost impossible to rid the smile from her face.


	8. Chapter 8

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Subtly watching her from behind what had to be the oldest magazine known to man, Jason was starting to believe his sister had reason to be concerned. It wasn't really noticeable, something he's certain that Elizabeth was doing her hardest to ensure, it was very subtle, things you wouldn't notice unless you knew her the way he does.

Like Emily had said, its random things, small things that wouldn't be so bad if it were isolated instances, but all together...suffice to say that Jason was starting to grow more and more concerned with each passing minute as he sat there watching her.

"Jase?" his sister's voice pulls him out of his observation of Elizabeth. "You're back!"

"I said I would be." Jason says simply, accepting her hug before smiling slightly. "You still okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me." Emily waves away his concern, appreciating it, but needing him to focus on Elizabeth. "I'm more than okay...as long as Elizabeth is too, that is."

"I'm working on it." Jason assures, knowing that his sister was really worried, making him even more worried now that he sees her in person. "If anything's wrong, I'll handle it."

"I know you will." Emily trusted him more than anyone and that was saying something. "I just wish there was more I could do for her."

"Just be there." Jason advises, the same advice that he had given Elizabeth about Nikolas all those years ago. "When she's ready, I'm sure she'll let you help her."

"I guess." Emily glances back at Elizabeth before shaking her head. "Anyway, I have to get back to work. See you later?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, again, Jase." Emily says softly, wrapping her arms around him for a moment before taking a step back. "It really means a lot that you'd drop everything for me."

"Don't mention it."

Watching his sister walk away, he didn't have the heart to tell her that he was really doing it for Elizabeth. If it were any of her other friends, Jason wouldn't give it two seconds of his time, but with it being Elizabeth...he just couldn't look the other way until he knew that it wasn't anything serious. He just couldn't.

Glancing over at her, he can't help the slight smile that touches his lips when his eyes lock with hers, a soft smile spreading over her face when it does. Waving slightly, he moves back to his spot, picking up the magazine again, counting down the minutes until she takes her lunch hour.

"Elizabeth, hey." Robin walks up to her as she's signing out for lunch.

"Hey." Elizabeth replies, gathering her things from under the nurses' station. "If anyone's looking for me, I'm going on my lunch break, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." Robin smiles slightly, knowing that from the look of her, Elizabeth needed to eat something. It looked like she hasn't eaten much in at least two weeks. "Before you go, do you know where Patrick is?"

"He should be in the O.R. if I'm not mistaken." Elizabeth wracks her brain for a moment before shaking her head. "Yeah, we had an emergency head trauma come in. He should be in surgery for another hour or so."

"Well, isn't that strange?" Robin comments, looking at her curiously. "He's operating and you're not assisting?"

"Why is that strange?" Elizabeth counters, walking out from behind the nurses' station. "There are a lot of nurses working today."

"Yeah, but you're usually Patrick's first choice." Robin points out, arching her eyebrow. "I have yet to see him operate without you on his team. At least not when you're on the clock."

"Yeah, well, there's a first time for everything." Elizabeth sighs, the pain starting up in her head once again. "I'll see you later, Robin."

Walking away from Robin, she makes her way over to Jason in the waiting area. What else was she supposed to do? Argue the point until she was blue in the face? Why would she? Robin's right. She's usually right beside Patrick in the operating room, but she was no longer an asset in that aspect.

Because of her condition, she was a liability that Patrick just couldn't afford in the operating room. Did it hurt? Yeah, it hurt, but the well-being of the patients are a lot more important than her hurt ego or her need to help Patrick do what he does best, save lives.

"Ready?" Jason questions, rising to his feet when she reaches him.

"Yeah, I'm ready." Elizabeth smiles slightly when he gestures for her to walk first, following after her once she does. "Not that I'm complaining, but what made you want to have lunch with me?"

"Do I need a reason?" Jason counters, hitting the down button on the elevator.

"No, I guess you don't." Elizabeth accepts his answer, walking onto the elevator with him. "I'm just surprised, that's all."

"Yeah, I get that." Jason had to admit that him asking her to lunch out of the blue was unprecedented, but it was the only way he could think of to spend time with her without raising her suspicions by much. If he would have suggested anything else, he's sure that she would brush him off, like she has done with Emily.

While they are riding the elevator down to the lobby and heading out to his SUV, Robin makes her way to Patrick's office, using the moment to her advantage. With Patrick in surgery, it gives her the opportunity to rifle through his things and figure out who this mystery patient could be. She had a real sick feeling that it was Elizabeth and she needed to know once and for all.

Glancing around the halls, making sure no one was in sight, Robin silently makes her way into Patrick's office, slowly shutting the door behind her. The first place she checks is his file cabinets, a little surprised that they weren't locked, but assuming that he didn't think anyone would do what she's doing at the moment.

Moving away from his file cabinets when she doesn't find anything close to the scans she had been given, Robin moves over to his desk, searching each drawer, but not finding anything. That was, of course, until she tried to pull open the middle drawer, the one that's at stomach level. It wouldn't take a genius to assume that that's where the file would be.

Thinking for a moment, Robin feels under the drawer, hoping that Mr. Cautious might have put a key underneath it, on the off chance that he lost his copy. With a sigh, not finding anything, she tries to think about where he might have it. A thought occurring to her, she pulls out the other drawers, searching the bottoms of it, hoping that maybe he had hid it there.

She was beginning to lose hope when she spotted the paper weight, having no other ideas, she gave it a shot and lifted it off the desk. Sure enough, there was a key taped to the bottom of it, go figure. Hoping against hope, Robin slides the key into the lock and almost jumps for joy when it unlocks the drawer.

Pulling open the drawer, Robin rifles through the files stored within, pulling out one that doesn't have a name on the tab. Flipping it open, she reads through it, trying to find a name for the patient anywhere in the file. Only to find that there wasn't a name to be found. Damn, he was thorough.

Looks like she's going to have to be a little more creative if she's going to find out who the patient is. Putting everything back to the way it was before she came into the office, Robin makes her way back out of the office, making sure the coast is clear before walking out into the hall. She doesn't know how she'll do it, but she will get it out of Patrick.


	9. Chapter 9

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

During the drive to Kelly's, they make small talk, something that Jason wasn't accustomed to when it comes to Elizabeth, but he humors her with keeping up his end of the conversation regardless. He could see that she needed to talk about nothing and he'll let her.

Getting to Kelly's, they take the table by the jukebox, picking up the menus and looking it over. A pointless gesture seeing as the menu has been the same since the place opened up, but they do it anyway. He didn't really know what to do, so having something to do with his hands was a welcomed distraction.

Elizabeth was about to place her order when she heard something crash, immediately her attention is pulled to the counter where she had heard the sound, only to find nothing there that could have made that sound. Shaking her head, she turns her attention back to the waitress.

While Jason's placing his order, she hears the bell ring over the door, prompting her to look up, but finding no one at the door. She couldn't understand what was going on, she could have sworn she heard a crash, but nothing was broken at the counter. She could have sworn the bell rang, but there was no one coming in or going out.

"Elizabeth, are you okay?" Jason asks when she rises to her feet, walking over to the jukebox.

"Huh, uh, yeah." Elizabeth shakes her head, growing more confused when she sees that nothing's playing yet she can hear the music playing clear as day. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Jason questions when she makes her way back to the table.

"Yeah." Elizabeth says simply, trying to get the music to stop playing in her head. "I'm sure."

"Okay." Jason concedes, rising to his feet. "I'll be right back."

"Okay."

As he walks to the bathroom, Elizabeth's almost stunned into silence as a memory comes to life before her very eyes. Holding each other by the jukebox, slowly swaying to the music, is the young version of her and Jason. Suddenly the pieces fall into place, the crash and the bell, it was the beginning of the memory. Then the music...it was the first time they danced together.

This was all in her mind, she was sure of it, this couldn't be real. Even though she knew that it was a side effect of her condition, Elizabeth couldn't help but be amazed by the vision before her. She couldn't help but stare at them as they swayed to the music. To _God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You_, the song that she heard playing but wasn't really playing.

When Jason walks out of the bathroom, he finds her simply staring blankly into space, more than a little concerned when he walks over to her and she doesn't even blink. It was like she didn't even see him there. Waving his hand in front of her face, trying to snap her out of it, Jason almost jumped back when she finally came to.

"Where were you just now?" Jason asks her as her eyes fix on him, a dazed look in her eyes.

"Huh?" she looks at him confusedly. "What do you mean?"

"Elizabeth." he says simply, giving her the look that said she knew exactly what he was talking about. "What's going on?"

"Okay, okay." she sighs, running her fingers over the menu. "I'll admit that my mind has been all over the place lately. I've just been so stressed out. Ever since my marriage fell apart, I just can't seem to catch a break. I mean, between Cameron and the hospital...not to mention the bills that are piling up...its just been so hard."

"Why didn't you call me?" Jason questions, looking at her seriously. "You know I'd help you, no questions asked."

"There really isn't anything you can do." Elizabeth points out, shaking her head. "Everything I'm going through...its just...I'm handling it."

"Elizabeth..."

"No, Jason!" she stops him before he can say much more. "I'm handling it, okay? I admit that its been hard, almost unbearably so, but I am handling it!"

"Okay." Jason says softly, knowing when to back off. "Okay, I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry." she sighs, running one hand down her face. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. I just...I'm not myself right now and...I should just get back to work."

"No." he takes hold of her hand, stopping her from standing up. "Just sit and eat with me. We won't talk. We'll just eat, okay?"

"I'm not good company right now, Jason." she says seriously, feeling the pain in her head growing in intensity. "Its better if I just go."

"Please." he says seriously, staring into her eyes. "Stay."

"Jason..."

"Please."

Shaking her head, Elizabeth settles back into the chair, slowly removing her hand from his before accepting her food from the waitress. As they eat their lunches, neither say another word, simply letting the silence fall over them as they consume their meals.

Watching her eat, Jason was completely sold on the fact that something was going on with Elizabeth, something that demanded his complete attention. For her to snap at him like that, atop of everything else had witnessed, Jason just couldn't shake that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was terribly wrong with her. Now, if he can only figure out what that is and - more importantly - what he can do to help her.

Taking her back tot he hospital, Jason watches as she gets back to work, wishing that she'd just let him, but knowing that it would take a lot more than lunch for her to do that. He's about to walk back on the elevator when he runs into his sister, that questioning look spreading through her features.

"Yeah." he says simply, hitting the down button. "There's something going on with her."

"Okay, so, what can I do?" Emily questions, looking at him seriously.

"The only thing you can do." Jason sighs, shaking his head. "Whatever's going on with her, Em, she's not ready to let anyone know it."

"So, I'm just supposed to act like I don't know something's wrong?" Emily looks at him in disbelief. "In case you don't know this, I'm not exactly good at that."

"If you try to force it out of her, Emily, she'll just push you away further." Jason says seriously, knowing that all too well. "Just give me a chance to handle it, okay?"

"Okay." Emily concedes, watching as he walks onto the elevator. "But you'll let me know when I can do something, right?"

"The moment I think of it." he promises. "See you later."

"Yeah...see you later."

While the two of them go their separate ways, Robin tracks down Patrick to the roof, the place he usually goes after a complicated surgery to unwind. He's surprised at first, but he refrains from asking how she knew he was up there, knowing it was a stupid question before he said it the first time.

"Did she agree to the treatment plan?" Robin questions, looking at him intently.

"No." Patrick shakes his head, looking out at the town below. "She refused it."

"Did she say why?"

"She thinks its a long shot." Patrick sighs, wishing they didn't have to talk about this. "She believes that the risk far outweighs the reward."

"Yeah...Elizabeth can be stubborn like that."

"Yeah...she...wait a minute..." Patrick turns look at her seriously. "How did you know?"

"I didn't." Robin shakes her head. "You just told me."

"I can't believe you just did that." Patrick looked at her in disbelief.

"And I can't believe you didn't tell me that one of my closest friends is dying." Robin countered, looking at him seriously. "Didn't you think that maybe I could talk to her? That maybe I could get her to agree to the treatment plan?"

"Yeah, I've thought about it." Patrick admits, turning to face her completely. "I also thought about the fact that she could pull away completely if I told you. She's barely letting me treat her now, what more when she finds out that you know?"

"I don't care! I can't just sit by and let her die because she's stubborn." Robin practically shouts. "She's my friend!"

"She's my friend, too!" Patrick snaps at her. "And I'm not going to let you jeopardize my chances in saving her!"

"You're being unreasonable."

"No, you are." Patrick sighs, running one hand down his face. "Stay out of it, Robin. I'll find a way to get her to agree to the treatment plan, but nothing I say will work if she thinks we're ganging up on her. So, for Elizabeth's sake, stay out of it!"

Walking away from her, Patrick gets back to work, unable to handle talking to her about it any further. It seemed like she thought he wasn't doing enough and a part of him hated that because he believed it. He wants to do more for Elizabeth, but there wasn't much he could do unless she agreed to let him help her. Something she just couldn't seem to do.

For some reason she has lost all her fight and Patrick wishes, more than anything, that he could give that back to her. That he could find a way to remind her that it wasn't time to throw in the towel and just accept her death sentence. If only he knew the right buttons to push, the right things to say to get her fighting again. If only.


	10. Chapter 10

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Tears falling like rain, Elizabeth sits in her car in the parking lot, hands on the steering wheel as she tries her hardest to remember what she has forgotten. Begging her brain to remember, Elizabeth just couldn't put the pieces together, regardless of how hard she tried.

Patrick, who was getting ready to leave the hospital, walks into the parking garage and is surprised to find that Elizabeth's car was still in the parking lot. She had left the hospital hours ago and should have been home by now. Or, at the very least, out of the hospital premises.

"Elizabeth?" he questions softly, something in him breaking when she turns to him, tears soaking up her face. "What's wrong?"

"I can't remember." she shakes her head, staring at him pleadingly. "I can't remember how to drive...I need to get home to Cam, but I just...I don't know how. Why can't I remember? I should know how to drive. I should know how!"

Pulling open her door, Patrick pulls her out of the car and into his arms, securing her in a warm embrace as she cries against his chest. He knew that she'd start forgetting things, but he didn't think it would happen so soon.

"We need to do another MRI scan." Patrick pulls away slightly to look at her. "I need to know what's going on, okay?"

"Okay." she shakes her head, allowing him to guide her back into the hospital. "But I need to...I need to..."

"I'll call Audrey and let her know that you'll be a little late." Patrick assures, guiding her towards the elevator. "Its gonna be okay, Elizabeth."

Shaking her head, she tries to take deep breathes, begging her emotions to get ahold of themselves. This wasn't unexpected, memory loss was just one of the many symptoms of her condition, she knew that. Regardless, though, knowing it did nothing to prepare her for when it actually happens. In the moment, all she could think of was her son crying for her and how badly she needed to get home to him.

"I'm gonna be right outside while you get changed, okay?" Patrick says softly, smiling slightly. "I'm gonna call Audrey now."

"Okay." she takes a deep breath, accepting the gown from him. "Thank you."

Waiting for Patrick to walk out of the room, Elizabeth puts her complete focus on undressing and sliding into the gown, an easy feat for most, but there couldn't be a harder task for her at the moment. Her mind just couldn't seem to focus and it wasn't doing any good for her emotional state.

"You can come in." Elizabeth calls out to Patrick when he knocks at the door.

"Audrey said that she doesn't mind watching Cam until you can get home." Patrick says as soon as he's through the door. "Now, all I want you to do is relax. You've been on both sides of this procedure, so, I'm fairly confident that you know what to expect."

"Yeah...I do." Elizabeth lays down, getting into the position for the scan before remaining completely still, keeping her breathing leveled.

"I'm gonna be talking to you the entire time, so, don't think its God or anything, okay?" Patrick smiles slightly as he gets her ready. "I mean, some women often make that mistake, even when I'm not giving them MRI scans, so it would be understandable."

"Oh, shut up." Elizabeth laughs softly, rolling her eyes. "You should probably give those women a MRI if they'd consider you a God."

"That's my girl." Patrick smiles, taking a step back. "You ready to get started?"

"Yeah." she assures, taking a deep breath. "Lets get this over with."

Just like that, Patrick took his place in front of the computer screens while she remained completely still, simply controlling her breathing. By the time that Patrick was satisfied with the amount of information gathered from her scans, an hour had passed and Elizabeth almost fell asleep inside the machine.

"A couple of the masses have grown slightly, pressing on certain areas of your brain that control memory recollection." Patrick explains, handing her back her clothes. "I know you didn't want to, but I think its time that you put your stored up vacation to use."

"But, Patrick..."

"Its time." Patrick sighs, placing his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "I'm sorry."

"I know you're right." Elizabeth shakes her head, glancing around the room. "Its just going to be hard to walk away."

"I know." he knew exactly how hard it would be to walk away, something he couldn't even imagine himself doing. "I know this might not be the right time to talk about this..."

"Then lets not talk about it." Elizabeth walks over to the door and holds it open for him. "I'm exhausted and I just want to get home to my son. So, please..."

"We need to explore all the options now, Elizabeth, before its too late." Patrick presses on. "With your condition changing the way it has, its only a matter of time before Robin's treatment becomes a moot point, as well. I know that it comes with a lot of risk, but isn't it worth it if it saves your life?"

"Ultimately, yes, I want to do whatever it takes to save my life." Elizabeth says seriously, having wished for some kind of miracle since she was diagnosed, but never receiving it. "The fact of the matter is that we've tried just about everything and nothing has worked. What makes this any different?"

"Its different because with Robin it'll be three people that are personally invested in seeing you survive past this." Patrick points out, almost pleading her to see reason. "Between the three of us, I'm sure that we can find the best way to save you with the least amount of consequences."

"I'll think about it." Elizabeth concedes, gesturing to the door. "Can you leave now so I can get dressed?"

"Uh, yeah." Patrick shakes his head, having completely forgot that she was pretty much naked under the gown. "I'll be right outside."

"Okay."

Walking out of the room, once again, Patrick waits long enough for her to get dressed before using his best persuasive techniques in getting her to let him drive her home. She put up a fight at first, but eventually she gives in and allows him to take her.

"Thanks for the ride." Elizabeth says as they pull into her driveway. "And, I promise, I will think about it."

"I know." Patrick smiles slightly, watching as she opens the door and gets down. "Take care of yourself."

"Yeah...okay."

He waits for her to walk into her house before pulling away from the driveway, needing to get back to the hospital to work on Elizabeth's case further. Getting to his office, he puts on a pot of coffee before calling Robin at her office to come to his.

"How did you know I was still here?" Robin questions when she walks through his office door.

"Lucky guess." Patrick says simply, walking over to her. "I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you on the roof..."

"Don't apologize." Robin waves away his apology. "You were right...I had no right to expect you to break doctor-patient confidentiality just because your patient is a friend of mine. It was unfair."

"Yeah, well, I'm throwing that out the window right now." Patrick takes a deep breath before pulling out Elizabeth's latest scans. "I'll give you whatever information you need to help me save her."

"What made you change your mind?" Robin asks curiously as he slides the scans into place before flipping on the switch.

"This." Patrick steps out of the way so she can see the scans for herself. "I need your help, Robin. More importantly, Elizabeth needs your help."

"Oh, my god!" Robin gasps, seeing the new scans just about tears a new hole through her. "This is...I can't even imagine..."

"Yeah." Patrick agrees, unable to put into words just what the scans did to him. "We need to figure out a way to save her and fast."

"Lets get started."


	11. Chapter 11

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Waking up early in the morning, Elizabeth walks downstairs to find her grandmother already up and making breakfast. With a slight smile, she walks over to her and kisses her cheek before pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Thanks for staying over last night, Gram." Elizabeth says gratefully, watching as her Gram turns to her with a smile on her face. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"You don't have to thank me." Audrey shakes her head. "Its not like you had to twist my arm to stay. I love spending time with the both of you."

"I know and we love spending time with you, too." Elizabeth takes a deep breath before setting down the cup. "Are you sure you can watch Cam until I get back?"

"Do I look unsure?" Audrey counters, eyeing her intently. "You go handle what you need to handle. We'll be fine here."

"Okay." Elizabeth smiles slightly before finishing her cup of coffee. "I shouldn't take too long. I just have to go sign the paperwork to start my leave."

"You know, I'm really glad you're taking some time for yourself." Audrey says wholeheartedly. "You've just been running yourself thin ever since your divorce with Lucky. No one can blame you for taking time to take care of yourself."

"I'm gonna go now." Elizabeth hugs her Gram. "Thanks, again, Gram. I honestly don't know where I'd be without you."

"Same here."

Putting her cup in the sink, Elizabeth makes her way to her front door, slipping into her coat and grabbing her purse before heading out of the house. She had thought about calling a cab, but then thought better of it and decided to just walk to the hospital. She could use the exercise and the fresh air.

While she's walking through town to get to the hospital, Jason's getting ready in his penthouse, sliding his gun into place and securing his jacket around him before grabbing his keys. He didn't want to, but he had work to do and it was pointless to hand off his assignments just because he didn't feel like it. His men have enough on their plates, he had to pick up some of the slack.

Making his way out of his penthouse, Jason runs right into Sam, who had been about to knock on his door. For a moment they just stare at each other, unable to think of anything to say, until Sam breaks the silence by asking if he was leaving. Both knew it was a stupid question, but she couldn't think of anything better to say.

"Yeah." Jason says, shutting the door behind him. "I have to get to work."

"Jason..." Sam stops him from getting on the elevator. "I know that things between us are rocky, but we can't keep going on like this. We're bound to see each other around, I'd like it if we could at least be civil, if not friendly."

"I can't do this." Jason moves her hand from his arm. "We both made choices, Sam...I can't see us being anything than what we are right now."

"You can't mean that." Sam looks at him almost pleadingly. "After everything we've been through together, it can't just end like this."

"I'm sorry." Jason sighs, hitting the button for the lobby. "Goodbye, Sam."

Soon the doors close, with a little help from Jason pressing the 'close doors' button, sending Jason on a ride down to the lobby. The moment the doors open, Jason walks off the elevator and heads to his SUV, needing to get out of the building before Sam decides to come after him.

He just couldn't take seeing her, much less talking to her, at the moment. He hopes that will wear of and they can at least be in the same room without him running for the nearest exit, but he just couldn't see that happening any time soon.

Driving down the road, heading to work, Jason suddenly gets a strange feeling that he should check on Elizabeth. Confused by the sudden need, Jason decides to go to the hospital to check on her, if only to give him peace of mind before he heads to work.

He was taking the turn that would put him on the direct path the hospital when his attention was pulled to the side of the road, unsure of what made him look that way, but slamming his breaks when his eyes focus on a body laying on the sidewalk. Focusing his eyes, Jason couldn't believe his eyes. It was Elizabeth.

Rushing to her side, he tries to get her to open her eyes, to look at him or talk to him, but she simply lays limp in his arms. Picking her up from the ground, Jason rushes her into the car, securing the seat belt around her before rushing to his side and hopping in. Putting the petal to the metal, he speeds the rest of the way to the hospital, needing to get her some help.

Talking to her the whole way, Jason tells her that she's going to be okay, that he's getting her help and they'll make sure she's okay. He couldn't stop talking to her, knowing that the sound of his heart beating a million miles in his chest would only prove to freak him out even more because it would remind him of just how scared he was at that moment. And, like everyone that knows him knows, he doesn't do well with be afraid.

"Help!" Jason shouts into the emergency room once he gets her through the door. "Someone help me! She needs help!"

"Get her on the gurney." Epiphany instructs him, starting to examine Elizabeth. "What happened to her?"

"I don't know. I found her on the side of the road." Jason leaves her to the medical professionals. "She was just laying there unconscious. I tried to get her to open her eyes, but she didn't respond to anything I said."

"Get her into an examination room and call Dr. Drake, tell him that Elizabeth Webber is in the ER and he needs to get down here immediately." Epiphany orders one of the ER nurses.

"Is she going to be okay?" Jason asks her, watching as Elizabeth is wheeled away.

"I'll let you know when I know." Epiphany says simply, pointing at the waiting area. "Until then, you wait there."

Taking the order to heart, Jason makes his way over to the waiting area, pacing the ground there as he waits for word on Elizabeth. That sinking feeling he had felt, the last time he had seen her, was starting to sink even lower. He needs to figure out what's wrong with her and needs to figure it out fast before its too late.

"Jason." Robin calls to him, walking over to him. "Where did you find her?"

"Not that far from here." Jason concedes, looking at her seriously. "What's wrong with her, Robin?"

"I can't tell you that." Robin says apologetically. "I'm sorry."

"What can you tell me?" Jason counters, looking at her almost pleadingly. "Please, I need to know what's going on."

"All I can say is that Patrick's a great doctor and he's doing his best to make sure she's okay." Robin knew he hates not having answers, but she had no right giving them to him. "I'll have a nurse call you when you can go in and see her, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

Jason watches her walk away, realizing something that Robin probably didn't mean to divulge to him. If he plans on helping Elizabeth, he needed answers, answers that only one person can give to him. Well, only one person that he can force the information out of. Patrick.


	12. Chapter 12

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Walking the distance to Elizabeth's room, Jason stands outside the door, looking in on her. He slowly raises his hand, placing it on the door handle, but unable to push the door open and make the short venture to her bedside.

From his spot by the door, he could barely stomach the sight of her hooked up to more than a few machines, the faint sound of the monitors beeping reaching him through the door. Taking a deep breath, Jason forces himself to walk into the room, doing his best to keep the memories at bay.

Seeing her laying there, it brought back all the memories from the past, all the times he had landed her in the hospital. All the times that he could have landed her in the hospital or worse. As well as the few times that other people landed her in the hospital. All those memories are pushing their way to the front of his mind and he was fighting to keep them out.

"Oh, my gosh!" he hears his sister gasp from behind him, prompting him to stand up and turn to her. "I heard Robin saying she was here...I just didn't...I didn't imagine this."

"She's stable." Jason knew it wasn't comforting to hear, but it was all he could think of to say.

"Wha...how...why?" Emily turns to him in confusion, looking at him intently. "What happened?"

"I don't know." Jason sighs, glancing back at Elizabeth before looking at his sister again. "They won't tell me anything."

"What about Audrey?" Emily counters, glancing around and not seeing any sign that the old woman had been there. "Where is she? Maybe she'd know."

"They haven't called her." Jason concedes, watching as a deeper confusion spreads through her features. "Apparently, Elizabeth wanted it that way. From what I could tell, she's been sick for a long time."

"I don't understand what's going on right now." Emily exclaims, walking over to sit by Elizabeth's bedside. "How could she have been sick like this without me knowing it? What does that say about the kind of friend I am?"

"Don't blame yourself." Jason says seriously, waiting for her to look at him. "Elizabeth wouldn't want that."

"I know...I just..." Emily sighs, turning to Elizabeth and sliding her hand into hers. "I just can't believe that I didn't see it."

"Look, I have something I need to take care of." Jason takes a deep breath, securing his jacket around him. "You gonna be okay?"

"Where are you going?"

"To get answers." Jason says simply. "Are you gonna be okay by yourself?"

"Yeah...yeah, I'll be fine." Emily shakes her head, watching as he pulls open the door. "She has to be okay, right? I mean, with the right medication, she'll be fine, right?"

"I don't know, Em." Jason knows she didn't want to hear that either, but he won't get her hopes up until he knows what's going on. "I'll be right back."

Walking out of the room, Jason makes his way through the hospital, hellbent on getting answers out of Patrick. One way or another. He had hoped that the doctor would just give in and tell him what he needed to know while they were in Elizabeth's room, but the doctor didn't bite. This time, he's not giving him a choice.

"Morgan?" Patrick looks up at him in shock, his mind going to something terrible. "Is something wrong with Elizabeth?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Jason says simply, standing in the doorway. "From what I can tell, you're the one with the answers."

"I've already told you all I'm gonna tell you." Patrick returns his focus to the files in front of him. "Show yourself out."

"That's not good enough."

"Yeah, well, too bad."

"Listen up, doc." Jason shuts the door firmly behind him, locking gazes with Patrick. "You're gonna tell me what I want to know about Elizabeth. One way or the other, I'm gonna get it out of you."

"Is that a threat?" Patrick rises to his feet, looking at him seriously. "Because your threats aren't gonna get you any closer to getting answers from me."

"I don't make threats. I'm simply stating fact." Jason takes a couple steps closer to Patrick. "We can do this the easy way or we can do it my way. Its your choice, doc, but - either way - I'm going to get the answers I want."

"I don't know how things work in your world, Morgan, but it the real world there are protocols." Patrick moves to stand in front of him. "Unless I missed the wedding that made you man and wife, you have no right to Elizabeth's medical condition. So, I suggest you leave before I call hospital security."

"I guess its my way then." Jason pulls out his gun from the small of his back, aiming it at Patrick's head. "Now, I'm giving you one last chance, Dr. Drake. Tell me what I want to know or your career as a doctor will be cut short real fast."

"What are you going to do?" Patrick counters, eyeing him intently. "Kill me?"

"If I kill you, I won't get the answers I want." Jason shakes his head. "By the time I'm done with you, though, you'll wish you were dead."

"You'd torture me for Elizabeth?"

"I'd kill you for Elizabeth if it comes to that." Jason says sternly. "She's one of the most important people in my life. There's not much I wouldn't do to keep her safe."

"She's dying." Patrick concedes, staring down the barrel of Jason's gun. "She doesn't have much time."

"Dying?"

"Yeah, dying." Patrick says firmly, eyeing Jason's gun. "You gonna put that thing away?"

Sliding the gun back where it had been before, Jason tries to wrap his head around the fact that Elizabeth's dying, a fact that he just never truly saw coming. His heart in his throat, Jason leans against the chair for support, completely shocked at this revelation.

"Would you like to know the rest?" Patrick questions, pulling out Elizabeth's scans and sliding it into place. "I've already screwed my credibility for Robin, I might as well do the same for you."

"The rest?" Jason looks at him confused, watching as he flips the switch and lights up Elizabeth's scans.

"From what I've heard, I'm sure you can grasp what these scans mean." Patrick says, watching as Jason walks over to the scans, staring at it intently, looking like he had just been shot. "A few of them aren't life threatening, but there are more than a few that are. If we don't start her on the protocol to start shrinking the masses soon, they'll continue to grow until they ultimately end her life."

"Why haven't you done it yet?" Jason counters, looking at him intently. "Why hasn't she started the protocol?"

"It only became available recently." Patrick concedes, knowing just how pathetic that sounded. "And Elizabeth has refused any form of treatment. She believes that the risks are too high and I can't say she's wrong, but this is the only chance she has. If she doesn't consent to the procedure now, everyone that loves her will just have to watch her die."

"I'll talk to her." Jason turns to look at the scans once more. "I'll get her to agree to the procedure."

"No offence, but how can you be sure of that?" Patrick counters, looking at him seriously. "I've tried for days and she has turned me down each time."

"I'm not you." Jason turns away from Patrick, pulling open the door. "Get everything ready. I don't care what it takes, she's not going to die. Not as long as I'm still breathing."

_***Sorry only one update. Need more time with the next two chapters.***_


	13. Chapter 13

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Sitting by Elizabeth's bedside, Emily tries to accept that it had been Elizabeth's choice to hide her condition the way that she had hid her breast cancer from those closest to her, but she just couldn't get herself to believe that there was nothing she could have done.

Seeing her just laying there, she couldn't believe that there weren't signs that she could have seen, words that she could have said. There had to have been something she could have done in order to make Elizabeth confide in her. Why didn't she just confide in her? They're best friends, that's what they are there for, to confide life's most hardest feats. Why couldn't Elizabeth confide in her?

"Excuse me, can I help you with something?" Emily asks when a woman walks into the room completely focused on Elizabeth.

"No, you can't." the woman replies, walking over to look at the screens. "Not unless, of course, you are the one that's gonna pay my bill. If that's the case, I take cash only."

"Excuse me?" Emily looks at the woman in disbelief, rising to her feet. "Who are you?"

"Diane Miller." the woman holds out her card, a confident smirk on her lips. "As of today, I'm Elizabeth Webber's lawyer. If you don't mind, I'd like a moment alone with my client."

"She's unconscious." Emily points out, gesturing to Elizabeth on the bed. "Why would you possibly need alone time with her?"

"No offence, Ms. Quartermaine, but unless you intend on paying my bills, what I do and why I do it is none of your concern." Diane walks over to the door, pulling it open. "Now, I'd like a moment alone with my client."

Standing outside the door, having it closed in her face, Emily watches as Diane sets her briefcase down on the side table. For a moment she simply checks the charts, reading the information within before looking at the monitors to see her latest vitals.

"What's going on?" Jason asks Emily, prompting her to look at him. "Who's in there?"

"Elizabeth's lawyer." Emily concedes, watching as confusion spreads through his features. "How bad can her condition be that she'd hire a lawyer?"

"Its bad." Jason watches as understanding settles into her eyes.

"I can't..." Emily looks in on Elizabeth and Diane. "This can't be real. This has to be some kind of sick nightmare...this can't be real."

Moments later, Diane walks out of the room with her briefcase, glancing between Jason and Emily before granting them both a nod and walking off. Jason watches as she takes the turn that he had just came out of, giving him the impression that she was heading to Patrick's office. Something that didn't exactly sit well with him.

"I should go." Emily sighs, looking at Jason with an expression of heartbreak. "If she doesn't want her Gram to know she's in this condition, I better go pick up Cam before Audrey starts getting worried."

"Why would she be worried?" Jason counters, looking at her confusedly.

"Elizabeth called me earlier this morning to tell me she was taking a leave of absence." Emily shook her head, yet another sign she should have been able to see. "She said she wanted to spend quality time with Cam. Now I know why."

Jason hated seeing his sister like this, more than anything he wanted to reassure her, but he still couldn't bring himself to do so. Right now all that matters is getting Elizabeth to agree to the procedure and save herself. From the look of the lawyer, she seemed pretty confident in her abilities. One thing she'll learn real quick, though, is that she better not stand in his way.

She may think she's all that, but Jason will not stop at anything to save Elizabeth's life. Even if it meant taking down the lawyer in the process. Anyone that stands in his way will be taken down hard, regardless of who they are, he'll take on the world if it meant saving Elizabeth.

Walking into her room, Jason shuts the door behind him, retaking his place by her bedside. Slipping her hand into his, he makes a heartfelt plea to the high heavens, hoping that if anyone is listening, they'd save Elizabeth.

God knows that he didn't deserve a miracle, seeing as he has racked up quite the body count, but Elizabeth deserved the miracle. Its not fair that he can cheat death on a daily basis and she ends up the one on her death bed. Its not right.

Down the hall in Patrick's office, while Jason is pleading for Elizabeth's survival, Diane's making Patrick feel more than a little insecure in his standing. Here he was trying to save his friend's life and Diane has somehow made him feel like he was the bad guy.

"She's my friend." Patrick defends his actions.

"Wrong, Dr. Drake." Diane sets her eyes on his, a firm look in her eyes. "You're her doctor. As her doctor, you were obligated to keep her condition and anything pertaining to it confidential. Something, I've come to understand, you have failed to do."

"You don't know, Elizabeth." Patrick states irritably. "You could not possibly understand why I did what I did. She would."

"I don't have to understand why you did it." Diane shuts her briefcase with a firm slam. "All I have to understand is that you disclosed confidential information to third parties that did not have the proper approval. You are lucky I am not bringing this matter up to the medical board. If I were to do that, Doctor, you'd have your medical license revoked so fast your head will spin."

"I'm trying to save her life!"

"No offence, but you're not God." Diane says simply. "Until my client is otherwise capable to do so herself, I am to be apprised on any medical treatment that you or your staff administer to Ms. Webber and will make the final decision in regard to them. Do I make myself clear?"

"Who are you to make any decision on medical treatments?" Patrick counters, getting sick and tired of the lawyer. "You have no medical background or understanding for her condition."

"That's why I have an outstanding neurosurgeon on speed dial." Diane walks over to the door, pulling it open. "If I find out you so much as took a blood sample without me knowing it, Dr. Drake, you and yours will be feeling the repercussions of your foolish decisions for years to come. And, in case you were wondering, the answer is yes. My bite is so much worse than my bark."

Leaving Patrick to contemplate his next move, Diane stops by Elizabeth's room, looking on Jason sitting by her bed before walking off to handle the rest of Elizabeth's request. At first, Diane had wanted to write of Elizabeth's email as a lost cause, but taking the chance and reading the email, Diane could do nothing but hop on the next plane to Port Charles.

Doing her homework along the way, getting the lay of the land and brushing up on all she needed to know. What Elizabeth was doing took a lot of bravery and unless she makes the choice to risk the procedure, Diane will do whatever it takes to uphold her wishes. No one had the right to take away her choice and Diane will see that no one does. Good intentions or not.


	14. Chapter 14

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Late into the night, Elizabeth's senses start to come back to her, she could feel the coldness of the air conditioner against her skin. Right away she realizes where she's at, the breathing tubes hooked around her ears start to itch, the part of the tube that's in her nose starts to irritate her.

Removing it from her face, she blinks away the fog, trying to focus on the person sitting by her bed. At first, she thinks its Patrick, but then the fog lifts and she sees that its not him. Its Jason. Trying to piece together what happened to her, Elizabeth couldn't remember. All she could remember was the world turning black and then nothing.

Sitting up in bed, Elizabeth glances around the room, looking for her clothes, but not finding it. With a sigh, she drops her gaze, finding Diane's business card on the side table. Confusion setting in, she lifts the card into her hands, wondering if the lawyer has decided to take her on as a client.

Being careful to not wake Jason, she reaches for the phone, calling up the lawyer with complete disregard for the time. Within a few rings, Diane answers, ignoring Elizabeth's apology for the late hour and proceeding to ask her what she needed.

"Thank you, Ms. Miller." Elizabeth says to Diane when she arrives at the hospital moments later. "I just didn't know who else to call."

"Its Diane." she gets in reply as Diane shrugs out of her coat, helping her slide into it. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes." Elizabeth shakes her head, glancing over at Jason. "I want to be with my son."

"He's currently with your friend, Emily Quatermaine at your home." Diane informs her, guiding her out of the hospital and into her car. "If you'd like, I can have a maid come by your house in the morning to help with the chores."

"No, thank you." Elizabeth shakes her head, buckling her seat belt. "The ride is more than enough."

"You know, its okay to ask for help." Diane points out, starting up her car and taking off through the town. "You've got nothing to prove. Take the help."

"I understand that, Diane." Elizabeth says seriously. "But you need to understand something about me. I refuse to be helpless. So, I appreciate the offer, but I'll be fine."

"Fair enough." she accepts, stopping at the red light. "As for the changes you wanted to make to your will, I've printed up a rough draft for you to look over. If you don't have any complaints, I'll finalize it tomorrow."

Getting to her house, Elizabeth thanks Diane once more before taking the rough draft of her will and making her way into her house. She had made it into the living room when Emily comes walking down the stairs, pure shock spreading over her features.

"Elizabeth?" Emily says in disbelief. "Should you be out of the hospital? Who took you home?"

"My lawyer." Elizabeth says plainly, from the look on Emily's face it was evident that she knew the truth. "Thank you for watching Cam. Does my gram know?"

"No." Emily shakes her head. "I told her that you got caught up and I promised I'd watch Cam for you."

"Okay." Elizabeth walks over to her couch where she had tossed her pajamas the other night and slips it on. Turning to Emily, she does her best to sound convincing when she says, "I'm fine, Emily."

"No, you're not." Emily counters seriously. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"What would that help?" Elizabeth counters, looking at her intently. "What would me telling people change? I'd still be the way I am, only everyone else would be suffering along with me."

"So you prefer suffering alone?" Emily couldn't believe her ears. "What about your son, Liz? You passed out on the side of the road. What if you had Cam? What if you were alone with him and you fainted? Did you even think of that?"

"Don't." Elizabeth snaps. "Don't question me about my son! He's the only person I've been thinking about since I was diagnosed!"

"Elizabeth..."

"And who are you to judge me on telling people about life threatening illnesses?" Elizabeth counters, tears welling up in her eyes. "In case you have forgotten, you did the same exact thing when you were diagnosed with breast cancer!"

"Yeah, but I told people eventually."

"Eventually." Elizabeth shakes her head. "Only because Nikolas convinced you to go to a support group. If not, you would have kept it to yourself."

"But I got help and you can, too!" Emily points out. "You can't give up, Elizabeth. You just can't."

"Why?" Elizabeth retorts. "Because you say so? No offence, Emily, but you have no idea what I've been through. You have no idea how hard I fought this...it took a long time, but I finally accepted my reality. As hard as it was, I finally accepted it and I'm not going to let you or anyone else make me feel guilty for it.

"At least tell me how this happened."

"Stupid choices."

"Elizabeth, please."

"Fine." Elizabeth gestures for her to sit down, taking a deep breath before sitting across from her. "According to Patrick, its been building up inside me for a long time. My body suffered a lot over the years, the repeated trauma to my brain had eventually resulted in numerous tumors growing in my brain."

"Repeated trauma?"

"Drinking poison. Voluntarily and involuntarily." she reminds Emily, arching her eyebrow. "The hit and run that left me blind. Crashing my car when I tried to tell the truth about killing Zander. The list goes on...apparently it goes all the way back to when I was raped. My body just couldn't handle the abuse anymore."

"So, that's it?" Emily asks her, tears in her eyes. "There's nothing I can say to you that will make you fight this?"

"You can try." Elizabeth says simply. "But I doubt it."

"What about me?" Jason's voice takes them both by surprise. "Can I try?"

"Jason." she stands up to look at him, taking in a shaky breath. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." Jason counters, taking Emily's coat and handing it to her, gesturing for her to leave before focusing on Elizabeth. "You leave the hospital after being unconscious for the better half of the day and you call me the world's worst patient?"

"There's no point for me to be there." Elizabeth watches him shut the door behind Emily before turning to look at her. "There's nothing they can do for me."

"That's not what Patrick told me." Jason counters, walking over to stand in front of her. "If there's even a sliver of a chance that Robin's protocol can work, why won't you take it?"

"Because it won't work!"

"How do you know?" Jason says sharply, needing to get her angry enough to actually tell the truth. "Seriously, Elizabeth. Give me one good reason why you believe it won't work."

"I'm not doing this right now." Elizabeth takes a deep breath. "I'm tired and I'm going to bed."

"We can talk now or I can follow you everywhere you go until you do talk to me." Jason states with conviction, watching as the anger fills her eyes. "Either way, you're gonna talk to me about this."

"Jason!"

"Elizabeth."

"Ugh!" Elizabeth turns on her heels, heading for the stairs. "I'm not doing this with you!"

Storming up the stairs, Elizabeth makes her way up to her bedroom, Jason following close behind. She tries to walk fast to get into her room before he gets a chance to stop her, but he simply pushes the door open before she can lock it. She tries to head to the bathroom, but he follows her in there, too.

"Jason!"

"Everywhere, Elizabeth." Jason says sternly, staring into her eyes to show he was serious. "I'm gonna be right by your side until you talk to me. Its not like I haven't already seen it all."

"What do you want from me?!"

"The truth!" he snaps. "I want the real reason why you won't do the protocol!"

"Because I'm scared, okay?!" she blurts out, tears falling down her eyes like a waterfall. "I am scared!"

"Of what?" Jason takes hold her shoulders, searching her eyes for some kind of answer. "What are you scared of?"

"I'm scared of getting my hopes up!" Elizabeth cries, physically shaking with emotion. "I'm scared it won't work and I'll be right back where I started or worse...I can't take that, Jason! I can't! I've finally come to terms with my condition. I can't take getting my hopes up and then having it crushed again!"

Wrapping his arms around her, holding her tightly to his body, Jason holds her close as she cries her heart out. For Elizabeth, it was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders and she didn't feel like she had to be strong anymore.

Giving into Jason's strong embrace, she pours her heart out onto his t-shirt. All the nights she had spent laying awake in bed, afraid to sleep because she wasn't sure if she'd ever wake up again. All the pain and sadness, all of it pours out in her tears.

"Elizabeth, look at me." Jason pulls her away slightly, framing her face in his hands. "I can't pretend to know how you feel, but I do know you. You have survived through so much to give up now. You're too strong of a person to give up without a fight."

"I'm not strong." Elizabeth whispers, the pain evident in her eyes. "Not anymore."

"Who are you trying to kid?" Jason counters, determined to get her to believe in herself again. "You've survived being raped, kidnapped, poisoned, and hit by a car. Any number of people would have fell apart after enduring any of those things, but not you. You picked yourself up and you survived. You can survive this, Elizabeth. You just have to believe it."

"What if I can't?" Elizabeth questions pleadingly. "I always had someone there that loved me to help me through it..."

"What makes you think you don't have someone now?" Jason counters, staring into her eyes. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"Jason..."

"A long time ago, I was dying, a bullet wound in my side, when you pulled me up from the snow and saved my life. No matter how much I wanted to give up, you wouldn't let me. You remember that?" Jason promises, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Despite everything I told you, you came back for me and you took care of me until I had my life back."

"Yeah...I remember."

"Well, this condition is your bullet wound and I'm not going to stop until you have your life back." Jason swears, laying his forehead against hers. "Its my turn to take care of you, Elizabeth...please, let me."

"Okay."


	15. Chapter 15

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Laying in the hospital bed, Elizabeth thinks back to telling her grandmother about her condition. The sadness that filled Audrey's eyes was undeniable, making Elizabeth feel worse for keeping it from her. After a long talk about not telling her, Audrey assures her that she'll watch Cameron for as long as she needs her to, making Elizabeth promise to do whatever it took to beat her condition.

"Hey, you." Robin greets her, walking into the room to start Elizabeth on her protocol. "How're you feeling?"

"Nervous." Elizabeth admits, taking a deep breath. "Like I'm on the brink of freaking out."

"What made you change your mind?" Robin asks, moving to hook up the medication to Elizabeth's needle. "I mean, I'm glad you did...I guess, I'm just curious."

"Jason." she shakes her head. "He can be quite convincing."

"Yeah, he can." Robin laughs softly, remembering when he got her to take her protocol. "Where is he by the way? Patrick said something about him being with you during this."

"He just went to get me something to drink." Elizabeth concedes, shifting in bed. "Do you know how long it'll take before it starts working?"

"It should take about fifteen minutes before the drug takes affect." Robin explains, checking the bag to make sure it was set. "We'll monitor you for the rest of today and take MRI scans tomorrow to see if its working or not."

"Okay." Elizabeth sighs, glancing at the medicine bags hanging by her bed. "I guess, I should be happy about this."

"But you aren't."

"I'm just terrified of all the ways this can go wrong." Elizabeth looks at Robin seriously. "Being a nurse, I've seen all the ways a brain surgery can go wrong. Worst case scenario, I end up completely paralyzed or brain dead."

"You can't think of all the ways it can go wrong." Robin points out, sitting down by her bed. "Like we tell all our patients, you just have to think of all the ways this can go right. Focus on that and you'll do just fine."

"Yeah...okay."

Staying for a moment longer, Robin makes her way out of the room, intent on giving Elizabeth her privacy. It was obvious that Elizabeth didn't want to be doing the protocol and, if not for Jason, she probably wouldn't be. So, whatever Jason had to say or do to get her to do it, Robin is thankful. Taking Robin's place by Elizabeth's bed is Patrick, a soft smile on his face.

"Do I get to ask how he got you to do it?" Patrick questions, finding himself grateful to Jason.

"History." Elizabeth smiles slightly. "He used our past to get me to do it."

"Must be some past."

"A long time ago, I saved his life." Elizabeth explains, but doesn't elaborate any further. "He figured it was his turn to save mine."

"Ah." Patrick shakes his head. "Well, then I'm grateful."

"Patrick Drake grateful to Jason Morgan?" Elizabeth looks at him curiously. "Hell must have frozen over."

"Ha, ha." Patrick nudges her slightly. "Even facing what you're facing, you still find it in you to mess with me."

"I'm dying, I'm not dead." Elizabeth points out, looking up when the door opens, finding Jason standing in the doorway. "Hi."

"Hey." Jason walks over to sit beside her in bed, handing her the bottle of water he got for her. "You okay?"

"Yeah...I'm okay." Elizabeth assures, shaking her head. "Patrick was just saying how he's grateful to you."

"And that's my cue to leave." Patrick rises to his feet, placing a soft kiss on Elizabeth's forehead. "I'll be back to check on you later."

"What was that about?" Jason asks once Patrick is out the door.

"He's just thankful that you convinced me to do give their treatment a try." Elizabeth shrugs, taking a drink of water. "Everyone is."

"I did it for you." Jason says seriously. "Not Patrick or anyone else. So, they can keep their gratitude."

"I knew you'd say that." she says, leaning against his shoulder. "Jason...what if this doesn't work?"

"What if it does?" he counters. "I know its hard, but try not to think about it."

"That's exactly what you said to me that night." Elizabeth points out, looking at him with a slight smile. "Do you ever think of that night?"

"Yeah...a lot more lately." Jason admits, slinging his arm across her shoulder. "You just relax...let me worry about everything else, okay?"

"Okay." she yawns, closing her eyes. "I'm getting tired."

"Go to sleep." Jason says softly, running his hand up and down her arm soothingly. "I'll be here to watch over you. I'm not going anywhere."

Slowly but surely, Elizabeth falls into a deep slumber thanks to the drugs. Robin and Patrick had explained everything to him, not wanting him to have to question them on every move they made. Watching her, though, he knows he won't be prepared for the impending surgery. He can't even imagine the protocol not working. It was just too much.

Elizabeth has prepared for the event that she doesn't make it past this, finalizing her will and making sure that her affairs are in order, but not him. He can't see himself preparing for her not making it. The more he thought of a world without her, the more he just couldn't stomach it. Elizabeth has to exist. She has to.

By tomorrow, he'll have the power of attorney over her medical treatment, thanks to Elizabeth's lawyer. He wasn't sure if he was the best person to make the choices for Elizabeth, but she seems to trust that he'll do what's best and so he agreed to taking the responsibility of making the choices. God help him if he ever has to make the choice on pulling the plug or not.


	16. Chapter 16

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Waking to the morning light shining through the hospital windows, Jason runs his hand over his face, fighting away the fatigue that has been plaguing him since he found out about Elizabeth's condition. It was like he could never stay asleep for long, always worried that he'd wake up to find that she was gone.

It was strange how much of his life starts to be put into perspective when finding out that Elizabeth was facing her own mortality. Trying his best to prepare himself for the worst case scenario, Elizabeth dying, Jason starts to look back on his life and all the choices he has ever made. Starting from the moment that Elizabeth had saved his life.

He tries to imagine where everyone he loves would be had he not survived that gunshot wound. Would Sonny and Carly have gotten together? Would they have destroyed themselves a long time ago? Where would his sister be? Or Robin? Would she have come back to Port Charles the way she did if he was gone?

Ultimately, the plaguing question would be, would everyone be better off had he died in the snow? Or are they better off having him in their lives? A part of him wants to believe that everyone's better off with him in their lives, but the question will always be there.

Just like the number one question he had always wondered since that winter he spent in her studio...would Elizabeth have been better off without him in her life? Since then, it seemed like every time he was in her life, chaos would ensue. From getting kidnapped to the whole crazy fiasco with Ric, not to mention Carly's constant badgering, and so much more.

Looking at Elizabeth, laying there in the hospital bed, he can almost hear her voice in his head. And, of course, she'd be contradicting every single thing he says about his affect on her life. Like she has pointed out many times before, she always prefers having him in her life opposed to not, regardless of the consequences it may bring.

"Ms. Miller." Jason greets the lawyer when she knocks on the door, prompting him to rise when she walks in. "They haven't taken her down for the MRI yet if that's what you're here for."

"Partly, yes. I also came to drop this off." Diane pulls out a manila envelope from her briefcase. "This is your copy of the power of attorney. I've already filed one with the hospital, but its always good to have one handy. In my experience, loved ones have the hardest time accepting that the choice is out of their hands."

"I know the feeling." Jason says simply, holding the envelope in his hands, feeling like a ton of bricks in his grip. "Thank you for putting a rush on it."

"Well, given the circumstances..." Diane shakes her head, glancing over at Elizabeth. "I just knew that sooner was better than later. I'll be back to check on her condition later."

Watching her walk out of the room, Jason takes in a deep breath before walking over to the side table and slipping the envelope into it. It was strange to have the power over her medical treatment, but still have no real choice over what happens to her. Every choice he makes for her will have to be the choice that she'd pick, not him.

In a way, he'd be her voice, but he wouldn't have any real choice. Just like the rest of the people that cared about Elizabeth. Just because he has the power of attorney, it didn't make him any different than anyone else. Only, he'll still be responsible for the choice he makes, even if it was the choice she would have made.

The buzzing sound of his phone pulls him out of his thoughts, prompting him to pick it up into his hands and look at who was calling. With a sigh, seeing that it was Carly, yet again, he hits the end button, silencing the call. Whatever's going on with her, he's sure that Sonny can handle it. He just couldn't take another Carly problem, not right then.

"Coffee?" his sister asks when she walks through the door. "Black. Just how you like it."

"Thanks." he says softly, taking the coffee from her outstretched hand. "I'm gonna need it."

"I can tell." Emily looks at him intently, noticing the bags under his eyes. "Jason, have you been sleeping at all, lately?"

"Not really." he admits, turning to look at Elizabeth. "Its hard to sleep with her like this."

"Yeah...I know." Emily shakes her head, taking a deep breath. "Anyway, I just came to check on her before I start my shift. Will you let me know when they get the results for her MRI?"

"Sure."

Looking around the room as Emily walks out the door, Jason had to be grateful they didn't fill the room with flowers like they had all those years ago. He knows, just like he did then, that she didn't really like having all those flowers around her. Even if she was too polite to get rid of any of them.

"Robin." Jason looks at her intently when she walks in and starts jotting down Elizabeth's vitals. "Is it time?"

"Yeah...its time." Robin shakes her head, closing Elizabeth's chart. "By now the protocol should have started to shrink the masses. If not...well, we'll take it one step at a time."

"Okay." Jason takes a deep breath to steady himself. "I trust you."

"Good to know." Robin smiles slightly, glancing at Elizabeth before focusing on him again. "The orderlies will be in soon to wheel her down for the scans. If you want, you can be in the observation room while she has her MRI."

"Yeah...I want to."

"Okay. I'll let Patrick know." Robin takes one last look at Elizabeth before walking out of the room, hoping against hope that the protocol is working.

It didn't take long before the orderlies filed into the room, wheeling Elizabeth out of her room to head down to the MRI, prompting Jason to follow along behind the gurney. They were walking off the elevator to head to the lab when Jason runs into Sam.

"Jason, why are you here?" Sam looks at him intently. "Did you think about what I said?"

"That's not why I'm here." Jason shakes his head. "But yes...I thought about it."

"And?"

"And my answer's still the same." Jason sighs, glancing down the hall where Elizabeth is now being wheeled through double doors. "I have to go."

"Jason, wait." Sam takes hold of his arm, stopping him from walking away. "If you're not here to see me, why are you here?"

"I have to go." Jason says plainly, removing her hand from his arm. "Goodbye, Sam."

Walking away from Sam, he quickly makes his way to the observation room, finding Robin and Patrick set up to start the scans, simply waiting for him to get there before starting. As the three of them stare at the screens, hoping for their prayers to be answered, Sam makes her way over to the double doors, looking in on the patient that had Jason's full attention and almost falling over when she notices exactly who it is laying in the MRI machine.

Taking in a shaky breath, fighting off the tears, she walks over to door of the observation room, finding Jason standing with his arms folded across his chest, an intent look in his eyes as he stares at the monitors. No wonder he keeps brushing her off. By now, Sam wonders why she's even surprised anymore. Its always seems to be about Elizabeth and it probably always was.


	17. Chapter 17

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Pacing back and forth, Jason had no idea what he was supposed to do or who he was supposed to listen to. Finding himself in the hospital chapel, Jason just couldn't bring himself to make a decision. Patrick says that they need to operate now before its too late to do anything. Robin's pushing for him to let the protocol work. It has already started to shrink the masses, she insists that the drugs just needed a little more time.

The silence is almost deafening, his mind constantly playing the sound of her monitors going off, elevating the stress level that he was already feeling. He knows he has to make a choice, but how was he supposed to choose between two equally risky treatment options?

If he goes ahead with Patrick's option and allows him to operate now, there are so many ways that it could go wrong. Her vitals are barely stable as is and if he lets Patrick go ahead with the operation, there's a very real chance that she could die on the table or end up brain dead.

But if he goes with Robin's option, letting the protocol have a chance at shrinking the masses further, there's a very real chance that the toxins being released by the masses, not to mention the chances of the masses shifting further, could damn well kill Elizabeth within the next six hours. How is he supposed to choose?

"What am I supposed to do?" Jason questions, staring up at the cross hanging on the wall. "How am I supposed to make this choice? How do I justify choosing one over the other? This is Elizabeth's life I'm gambling with...how do I choose?"

"Seems impossible, doesn't it?" a voice comments, causing him to turn towards the door and finding Audrey standing in the doorway. "Patrick called me. He thought I'd like to know that her condition had taken a turn for the worst."

"Cam?"

"He's with Emily in the cafeteria." Audrey assures, gesturing for him to sit down. "I know it must be hard for you to make this choice, Mr. Morgan, but it is your choice to make."

"But how?" he asks, almost pleading for the old woman to tell him what to do. "How do I choose between two treatments that could kill her?"

"If you don't choose, she will die for sure." Audrey points out, looking at him intently. "To be quite honest, I had never understood what my granddaughter sees in you. Your life, the choices you have made in regard to it, I just never trusted you with her well being."

"I always understood that."

"I appreciate that." Audrey smiles slightly. "And, though I may not trust you, Elizabeth does. I'm quite certain that she wouldn't have left the choice in your hands if she didn't."

"I would trust her with my life without a second thought." Jason says without hesitation. "And I have before...that still doesn't tell me what I should do. Which I should choose."

"Think about why she trusts you." Audrey rises to her feet, a soft smile on her lips. "Think about why she would leave her life in your hands. Trust me, you'll realize that the choice is obvious."

Audrey leaves Jason to his thoughts, hoping and praying that he will make the right choice. In all the time that she has tried to get Jason out of Elizabeth's life, her granddaughter had been quite insistent that she could never walk out of his life or have him walk out of hers. Hopefully that deep connection they seem to share will give him an insight on what choice to make. Ultimately saving her granddaughter's life.

Leaving the chapel shortly after Audrey, he makes his way down to the cafeteria, looking in on the little boy that really had no clue what kind of fight his mother was currently in. A bright smile across the little boy's face, simply enjoying his time with his Aunt Emily.

Watching the little boy for a moment longer, Jason turns on his heels and walks away from the sight of them laughing, making his way back up to Elizabeth's bedside, needing to be beside her. Taking her hand in his, Jason sits down and lays his head atop of their joined hands. He knows he has to choose. But what does he choose?

"Jason?" Robin walks into the room with Patrick an hour later. "Its time...you have to make a choice. Are we going to keep doing the protocol?"

"Or are you going to let me operate?" Patrick looks at him seriously. "The window on either is closing fast."

"Do the operation." Jason says seriously, rising to his feet to meet Patrick's eyes. "And you better not screw it up. If her life ends because of a mistake on your part, it'll be your life."

"If I don't save her, I'll hand you the gun." Patrick says seriously. "She's my friend and I will do whatever it takes to make sure she survives this."

"Jason..." Robin tries once more.

"You wanted me to make a choice, I made it." Jason says plainly, sitting back down with Elizabeth's hand in his. "She trusts my judgement...my instinct...and that's what I have to do now. Do the operation."

"I'll have the nurses come in to prep her for surgery." Patrick says, walking out of the room to get everything ready for the most important surgery in his career thus far.

"Jason, are you sure?" Robin questions, standing by him. "The protocol was working...if you would just give it more time..."

"She doesn't have time." Jason mutters, staring at Elizabeth, who is thankfully unconscious through this whole ordeal. He hopes that she's dreaming of a better place...a better reality. "Of all the people in her life, she chose me to make this choice for her and that's what I did."

"But why do you have to be so quick to agree to the surgery?" Robin pushes. "The protocol was working."

"Audrey told me to think about why Elizabeth trusted me...about why she would leave her life in my hands." Jason looks at Robin seriously. "A long time ago, I trusted my life in her hands and because of it, she trusts her life in mine. She trusts my instincts and right now my instinct is for Patrick to operate."

"I hope you don't live to regret it." Robin shakes her head, turning on her heels to walk out the door. "I really hope this was the right call."

"Yeah." Jason sighs, laying his head down on Elizabeth's hand. "So do I."


	18. Chapter 18

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Standing in the observation room of the OR, looking down on Elizabeth's surgery underway, Jason felt like he couldn't breathe. Staring down into the room, all he wanted to was to get down there and wrap her in his arms, to hold her until she was okay again. More than anything, he wants to make sure that nothing bad could ever happen to her for as long as she lives.

Down bellow, Patrick is fighting his hardest to remove all the masses that he can get to, Robin vigil by his side. The further into the surgery they got, the trickier the operation becomes, making Patrick's heart race faster than it ever has before. He knew that this was his only chance to get this done and he had to do it right.

"Patrick, that's enough." Robin glances between Patrick operating and Elizabeth's vitals. "You can't get them all out right now! You have to close up."

"I'm not done." Patrick states, his eyes focused on the last remaining masses. "Nurse, suction, please."

"Her vitals are unstable!" Robin protests, staring at the screens. "If you don't stop now, there's no telling what kind of repercussions will come of it!"

"She won't survive another go on the table! If I stop now, all of this will be for nothing!" Patrick snaps, glaring at her. "Either help me finish this or leave! Either way, I'm finishing this surgery."

"Her blood pressure is dropping." Robin blurts out anxiously. "If you don't stop now, Patrick, you can forget about a second go on the table. She won't survive this one!"

"Out!" Patrick shouts, fed up with her constant contradiction. "Get out of this O.R. right now, Robin!"

"Patrick, look at her vitals! You're gonna kill her if you don't stop!" she insists, gesturing to the screen. "You're letting your personal feelings get in the way of this surgery! You need to close up now!"

"Out!" Patrick points to the door. "Now!"

Watching the whole thing from the observation room, Jason felt his heart nearly stop when Robin turns on her heels and storming out of the operating room. Snapping his attention away from the swinging doors, Jason looks at Patrick as he gives the nurses further instructions. Before long, his attention is pulled to the screens as they start blinking, followed close behind by the alarm.

Raising his hand to the glass, Jason shuts his eyes, doing the only thing he could think to do. As crazy as it felt, as insane as it all seemed, Jason tries to send her all the strength he could. His hand flush against the glass, he tries to send her good thoughts, mentally telling her of all the reasons why she couldn't die. All the reasons she still had left to live for.

Feeling a hand slip into his, he turns to find Emily standing beside him, a slight smile on her face as she turns to face the operating room. Her other hand reaching up to touch the glass like him, her eyes slowly shutting as she whispers one word. Please.

"He's closing up." Jason whispers, letting out a shaky breath as Elizabeth's vitals stable out, swiping at the single tear that trailed its way down his face.

"I'll go tell Audrey." Emily turns to look at him. "I looked over the last MRI scans they ran...you made the right choice, Jason. Trust that."

"I'll believe that when she makes it past this." Jason leans over, kissing her forehead. "Go on. I'll be okay."

"You know where to find me if you aren't." Emily smiles slightly before taking a deep breath and walking out of the observation room, heading to find Audrey and Cameron.

Running his fingers through his hair, Jason turns his attention back to the operating room, watching as Patrick finishes up the surgery. Her vitals are still critical, but at least they've stabilized, that much he could be thankful for. Waiting long enough for Patrick to finish up, Jason takes one last look at Elizabeth before leaving the observation room. Wanting to be upstairs when they wheel her to ICU.

"Jason!" a voice stops him as he walks off the elevator, the voice of none other than Carly, herself. "Where have you been? Didn't you get any of my messages? I've been calling you for the last two days! Why didn't you answer? Wait...are you okay? Why are you in the hospital?"

"I'm fine." Jason sighs, really preferring another encounter with Sam opposed to this encounter with Carly. At least, if it were Sam, he could simply walk away and she wouldn't stop him. Not like Carly. If he walked away, she'd undoubtedly follow him. "I've been busy."

"Busy? That's it? That's all you've got to say?" Carly looks at him skeptically. "Its Sonny isn't it? What has he got you doing this time?"

"Nothing!" Jason snaps, his patience wearing thin, the fatigue gaining the best of him. "I took time off of work. As far as Sonny's concerned, I'm not even here right now."

"You...what?" Carly looks at him, more confused than ever. "Since when do you take time off without leaving town? What's going on, Jason?"

"No offence, Carly, but he doesn't need to tell you anything." Robin steps up, eyeing Carly intently before turning to Jason. "We should talk...you got a minute?"

"Yeah." Jason shakes his head before looking at Carly. "Whatever you're going through, ask Jax for help. I'm sure he'll be willing to help you. He is your boyfriend, after all, isn't he?"

Walking away from Carly, he makes his way into an empty room with Robin, waiting for her to say something, unsure of why she needed to see him. A part of him felt bad for turning Carly away the way he did, but he just couldn't handle it. Not right now. Not when Elizabeth's still fighting for her life.

"I...I just wanted to apologize." Robin takes a deep breath, moving to sit atop the bed. "Not for how I felt about you choosing to operate, but for the way I said it. I shouldn't have questioned your choice. I can only imagine how hard it must have been to choose and I shouldn't have tried to make you doubt the one you chose."

"Its okay." Jason walks over to her. "Emotions are running high...I get it."

"I appreciate that." Robin looks at him with a slight smile. "I guess, I just wanted to believe the protocol would help her...that if we shrunk it enough...it doesn't even matter anymore."

"It matters." Jason moves to sit beside her. "And, if I know Elizabeth, I know she'd say that you did what you felt was right and that's all anyone can do."

"Yeah...that does sound like something she'd say." Robin shakes her head, taking a deep breath. "So...this may not be the time to ask this, but...what's going on between the two of you?"

"We're friends." Jason says simply. "Well...that's not exactly true...we've never been just friends...its hard to explain."

"I think you just did." Robin rises to her feet. "When she makes it past this and I do mean when...maybe you should explore what you feel for her. We only live once, right?"

"I'll keep that in mind." Jason stands up as she pulls the door open. "Everything'll be okay, Robin. You'll see."

"You know, I'm actually starting to believe that." Robin smiles slightly, shaking her head. "They'll be wheeling her here once she's stable enough to move again. You can wait in here, if you want."

"Okay."


	19. Chapter 19

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Placing Cameron in a high chair, Emily listens as he starts to ramble about the day he had with Audrey, a soft smile on her lips the whole while. She'll be taking him to daycare soon and she just wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. With Elizabeth in the condition she's in, Emily knew that she had to keep to his routine, not wanting his life to be anymore disrupted than it already is.

Watching him, though, she couldn't help but think about the fact that it should be Elizabeth sitting there with him and not her. Cameron should be spending this quality time with his mother and she should be the one that gets to listen to him ramble on about his day. It just wasn't fair that they had to miss out on such a special moment. This should be their memory to share, not hers.

Fighting off the tears as best as she could, Emily refuses to let Cameron see her crying, only wanting him to see her with a smile on her face. With everything going on, Cameron deserved to keep his rosy view on life, untouched by the chaos that everyone around him is facing, just the way Elizabeth would want it.

"Emily?" Sonny's voice pulls her out of her thoughts, causing her to look up at him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...I'm fine." Emily shakes her head, but even she could tell that she fell flat. There was just no way for her to be okay without Elizabeth making it through this crisis. "I'm just spending time with Cam before I drop him off at daycare. Isn't that right, Cam?"

"Yes, ma'am." Cameron shakes his head, stopping mid story to confirm Emily's statement.

"Emily." Sonny says knowingly, not willing to let it slide, seeing the tears in her eyes.

"Cam, honey, why don't you go ask Mr. Mike for a slice of chocolate cake while I speak to Mr. Corinthos?" Emily says softly, smiling at the bright smile that graces his lips.

Shaking his head quickly, Cameron waits for her to take him off the high chair before stumbling his way over to the counter where Mike picks him up onto the stool to have his cake. Gesturing for Sonny to sit down, Emily takes a drink of her tea to calm her nerves.

"What's going on?" Sonny questions, looking at her intently. "I was almost certain that Jason's return would have helped you. If you want I can call him to come back again."

"What do you mean?" Emily looks at him confusedly. "My brother didn't go anywhere. He's still in town."

"I thought you knew." Sonny sighs, shaking his head. "He took time off from work a few days ago."

"I know that." Emily takes a deep breath before standing up. "What I didn't know was that he didn't tell you why he took time off."

"Now I'm the one that's confused." Sonny rises to his feet to meet her eye. "I assumed that he took time off for the same reason he always takes time off. To clear his head after a difficult job."

"Come on." Emily says simply. "You can follow me to drop Cameron off at daycare and, then, there's something you need to see."

Following her without question, Sonny heads to the hospital with her to drop Cameron off at daycare before walking back onto the elevator with her to head up to the ICU. A part of him had a sick feeling, being in the hospital tended to do that to him.

"Where are we going?" he finally asks as they get off the elevator, walking through the double doors labelled ICU. "I don't understand."

"You'll see." Emily gives as her explanation, guiding him to Elizabeth's room, finding Jason right where she knew he'd be. "This, Sonny, is the reason why Jason took time off."

Taking her place in front of the door, Sonny looks in on Jason, who is holding Elizabeth's hand in both of his, the most heartbroken look on his face. Seeing the tear that trails its way down Jason's cheek, Sonny could practically feel the pain stab through him.

"What...what happened?" Sonny turns to look at Emily, almost pleading with her to tell him. "Why is she in the ICU?"

"Elizabeth was suffering from multiple brain tumors." Emily explains, gesturing for him to walk over to the waiting area. "For a long time, she simply accepted that she was going to die. That was, of course, until Jason convinced her to give Robin's protocol a chance. Patrick operated last night."

"Brain tumors?" Sonny looked more confused than ever before. "She seemed so...healthy."

"I'll give you the explanation she gave me." Emily takes a deep breath, wishing she didn't have to explain this, but knowing that Sonny needed to open his eyes. "Her body had been through so much...the car accident that left her blind."

"Courtney."

"You knew?" Emily looks at him surprised. "I didn't think you knew she did it."

"Jason told me." Sonny sighs, running one hand through his hair. "He figured I deserved to know."

"Yeah, well, you're two for two where your siblings are concerned." Emily gestures for him to sit before sitting across from him. "The time that she was poisoned because of Ric."

"I can't believe this."

"Believe it." Emily sighs, knowing she's being a little more crude than she intended. "Look, she's been through a lot over the years and it all added up to this. Jason's been doing his best to get her through it and I'm pretty sure that he'll help her a lot more once she gets past this."

"What's your point?" Sonny questions, not accusingly, but he could see a point coming on.

"My point is that you need to let him." Emily rises to her feet, eyeing him seriously. "Elizabeth's going to need him a lot more than you do. So, if you care about me at all, Sonny...if you care about Jason at all...you'll give him the space and time that he needs to be there for her."

"He loves her...doesn't he?"

"He's never said it, but...yeah. I'm pretty sure he does." Emily shakes her head, smiling slightly. "And I'm almost certain that it goes both ways. Think about what I said, Sonny. Lord knows that my brother has done more than his fair share for you over the years."

"So has Elizabeth." Sonny comments, remembering the time that she held him after Carly's miscarriage, among other things she has done for him.

"Then give them the chance to heal and move past this." Emily could see that he was really listening to her and she appreciated that. "And, if they ever decide to leave town...as hard as it may seem...you need to let them."

"Did Jason say something about leaving?" Sonny's eyes shoot to hers, almost scared of the answer.

"No." Emily concedes. "But...I won't be surprised if they do. Port Charles isn't exactly the best place for them to heal, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah...I'm sure I do." Sonny tries to let it sink in, the possibility of Jason leaving for good and finds it hard to embrace the concept. "I'll...I'll keep it in mind."

With a single nod, Emily walks off to clock in for work, leaving Sonny to his thoughts. For a moment, he simply stands there, letting this new reality sink in before he makes his way back to Elizabeth's room, looking in on his best friend.

Sonny had been so sure that Elizabeth was the last person that Jason needed, more so after she married Ric, but now...he just wasn't sure about anything. Seeing Jason sitting vigil by her bedside, his heart obviously breaking for the young brunette...it was obvious that Sonny had a lot of thinking to do.

As he walks away, heading back to his home, Jason pulls out the guidebook to Italy from the side table where he left it. Opening to the page that he had left off on, he starts to read about the one place that she had always dreamt of visiting, hoping that it would help her somehow.

"Here." Patrick's voice pulls Jason out of his reading to look at him. "You look hungry."

"What's this for?" Jason takes the bag of food and coffee, looking at him skeptically.

"Oh, don't get any ideas." Patrick scoffs, walking over to check her vitals before looking at Jason. "Elizabeth asked me to make sure you were taken care of. She even made of list of what you like to eat and drink."

"You don't have to."

"I'm not doing it for you." Patrick says simply. "Given her current situation...its the least I can do."

"Right." Jason shakes his head, putting the stuff down on the side table. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. For her, I'd do just about anything." Patrick says simply, glancing over at Elizabeth. "She's a great friend to have. You have no idea how good it is to have someone that just accepts you for who you are...without trying to change you...who..."

"Listens to you think?" Jason finishes, shaking his head. "Yeah...I know exactly how good it is to have that."

"Of course." Patrick shakes his head. "Well, don't choke on your food...I wouldn't want to explain to Elizabeth that the food I gave you ended up killing you."

Shaking his head, Jason watches as Patrick walks over to kiss her forehead before leaving the room, a part of him realizing the kind of affect that she has on the people around her. Not only on his life, but on numerous others, as well. Turning to look at Elizabeth, a soft smile touches his lips as he slips his hand into hers, lifting it to place a kiss upon it.

"Thank you." he whispers, gently holding her hand in his. "Somehow, you always seem to find a way to take care of me."


	20. Chapter 20

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Flipping through a patient file, Emily jots down a few notes on certain areas she'd like to discuss with her patient. She was halfway through the notes she was taking when Nikolas walks up to her, tapping the desk for her attention and waiting long enough for her to look up before dawning his princely face. Well, the Cassadine version, anyway.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he says accusingly, making her jump to on defense at his tone.

"Excuse me?" Emily looks at him disbelievingly. "Am I supposed to know what you're talking about?"

"Oh, don't pull that with me." he states, looking her dead in the eye. "Why didn't you tell me about Elizabeth?"

"Why should I have?" Emily counters, folding her arms across her chest. "If you had bothered to check on her, you would have known."

"Oh, so this is my fault?" Nikolas counters, looking at her firmly. "I was giving her space since she divorced Lucky..."

"No, you were keeping your distance because you can't stand the fact that she left him!" Emily snaps, wishing that he would just walk away. "You can't stand that she divorced him and you know it!"

"You still should have told me!"

"And you should have been a better friend!" Emily sighs, shaking her head. "You know what, I don't have time for this."

"Emily!" Nikolas stops her from walking away by taking hold of her arm. "Regardless of what you may think, I'm still her friend. I didn't deserve to find out about her condition by stumbling onto Patrick and Robin's conversation about it."

"Yeah, well...it is what it is." Emily yanks her arm from his grasp. "I'm sorry if I'm being crude, but I don't have the patience or the energy to be understanding or gentle, right now. I have to get back to work."

"Are you really not going to tell me about her condition?"

"I'm really not going to tell you." Emily states, gathering her things. "If you want to know anything, ask Jason."

"Jason?" Nikolas looks at her disbelievingly. "Why would I ask your brother about her condition?"

"Because Elizabeth chose him to make the decisions in regard to her treatment." Emily watches the blood practically drain from his face. "He has the power of attorney to prove it. Look it up in the hospital logs if you don't believe me."

Leaving a stunned Nikolas in her wake, Emily makes her way to the hospital nursery, needing to see Cameron before she could even think about going back to work. She was just too worked up to deal with any patients and spending some time with Elizabeth's son was a sure way for her to cool off enough to return to work.

It must have been mere moments that she had sat down with Cameron when Jason comes walking through the doors of the daycare. She couldn't remember the last time she had ever seen him so worn out. It was extremely harder to see, knowing why he has been so sleep deprived.

"Hey." she greets him, patting the spot by her and Cameron. "Come join us."

"Hi, Cam." Jason greets the little boy, kissing his sister's forehead before sitting down between the two of them. "What do you have there?"

"A train." Cameron holds up his favorite one out of the set. "This one is my favorite."

"Its quite the train." Jason agrees, smiling slightly when Cameron sets his train down on the small track and starts to play with it. "So you like trains?"

"Chugging Charlie." Cameron shakes his head. "I like Chugging Charlie."

"Its his favorite show." Emily explains, gesturing to the small train in his hand. "Elizabeth says he can't get enough of it."

Shaking his head, Jason looks at Cameron, who tugs on his hand before giving him one of the trains. Taking that as the little boy's invitation to play with him, Jason puts his focus on Cameron's every word as he directs him on the train tracks. Emily simply sits by, watching with tears in her eyes as the two laugh and play. Yet another moment that Elizabeth should be experiencing, not her.

"You okay?" Jason asks her as they leave the daycare so Cameron can take his nap.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Emily counters, looking at him curiously. "That's the first real time you've spent with Cameron since Elizabeth went under."

"Its hard to be around him." Jason admits, walking with her to the cafeteria. "Its hard to watch him and experience everything that Elizabeth would have experienced if she were able to."

"I know the feeling." Emily admits, boy did she know it. "What made you change your mind today?"

"I owed it to Elizabeth to make sure he was okay." Jason explains, opening the door for her before walking in behind her. "I mean, I know that he's okay with you and Audrey, but..."

"You don't have to explain it." Emily stops him, knowing that it was hard to put his feelings into words. "I get it...you had to see him for yourself. To know for sure."

"Yeah...exactly." Jason smiles slightly, getting whatever looked eatable before paying for his and Emily's food. "I'm glad he's not affected by this. Elizabeth wouldn't have wanted it to touch him."

"Which is why Audrey and I have done our best to keep him to his usual schedule." Emily agrees, sitting down at a table with him. "So...how are you really doing?"

"Okay, I guess." Jason shakes his head. "Its like I can't even catch my breath. If she doesn't get better soon...I just might end up in a bed right next to her."

Finishing their lunch, Emily and Jason go their separate ways, parting with a warm embrace. She to her patient's room, him to Elizabeth's bedside, once again. He just couldn't bear to be away from her for that long, but he couldn't put off checking on Cameron any longer than he already did.

"Where were we?" Jason questions, settling into the chair, picking up the guidebook from the side table. "Oh, that's right...the Palio di Siena."

Taking a deep breath, Jason starts to read to her about the Palio di Siena, knowing that she wanted to see it for herself one day. Yet another thing he swears he'll see comes true if she would just wake up and ease his fears. Halfway through the description of the Palio, his heart nearly stops as the machines go off, Elizabeth starting to seize on the bed.

Medical personnel file into the room, ushering him out before they start working on Elizabeth. Hands on the door, staring into the small window, Jason could barely remember to breathe as he watches Patrick and Robin doing their best to save her from whatever was happening.

"What's going on?" Jason stops Robin as they wheel Elizabeth out of the room in a rush.

"We're going to run a few tests to see what's going on." Robin explains, removing his hand from her arm. "Once we know what's happening, you'll be the first to know, I swear it."

"Okay." Jason shakes his head, taking a couple steps back. "Just...just save her. Please."

"That's the plan." Robin says before rushing off to help Patrick, leaving Jason standing alone in the hall with his heart in his throat.


	21. Chapter 21

_Sometimes it feels like, I'm gonna break_  
_Sometimes this world, gives more than I can take_  
_Sometimes, sunshine gets lost in the rain_  
_And it keeps pouring down_  
_It just keeps coming down_

Barely able to breath past the tightness in his chest, Jason sits with Elizabeth's hand limp in his, tears frozen in his eyes as he stares at her laying there. According to Robin and Patrick, she'd have to improve to be considered critical at this point. Making Jason feel more pain than he's ever felt in all his life.

They're running tests, doing whatever they can think to pull Elizabeth back from the brink of death, but he couldn't help thinking that it was all pointless. That nothing they do will help her. Everything they've done so far has only proven to make her worse instead of better.

A part of him wanted nothing more than to whisk her away from the hospital, somewhere far away from there, but he knew that it wouldn't help her. Regardless of his own thoughts and feelings, he knew that the only thing he can do is sit there and wait. Good or bad, all he could do was wait for it to happen, something he happened to be terrible at.

"I can't believe that I'm really about to do this." Jason sighs, wishing more than anything that they weren't in this moment right now. "We shouldn't be here like this...you shouldn't be here like this."

Shutting his eyes tightly, he tries his best to take in a deep breath, holding it for a moment before letting it back out again. Though he didn't believe that Nikolas had any real affect on Emily recovering, that a dream could bring someone back from the brink of death, Jason would try just about anything right now.

So, without much delay, he decides to do the one thing he's even more terrible at. He decides to tell her how he feels. If there was anything he could think of that would shock Elizabeth back to life, he's pretty certain that telling her everything that he harbors in his heart will do the trick. At least, he hopes so.

"From the moment I met you, I could see something in you that I couldn't put into words, something that captivated me to no end." Jason tries to swallow past the lump in his throat. "I didn't think much past it, though, I couldn't. Forgetting the age difference, there was still the major differences...we were just too different. At least that's what I had thought back then."

Thinking back to the moment that he had met Elizabeth, the irony that it had been Lucky to introduce them was not lost on him, not in the least. For a long time he had fought himself tooth and nail, every time he saw her after that, reminding himself that Lucky was his friend and he loved Robin.

With every encounter, though, it got harder and harder to ignore the feelings that she evoked with that simple smile that would grace her lips. Then came the fire at his shop and he saw a completely different side of Elizabeth. The side that he could relate to. A side that lessened the differences between them, putting them on the same side for once.

"That night at Jake's was different than the first time I met you." Jason comments, a soft smile on his lips. "That night I saw something in you that I could put into words. Something that made me believe we weren't as different as I had thought. That made me push past the line and placed me right in the middle of your life with only one goal in mind. Taking your pain away. Right away, I could see the strength you were capable of and, more than anything, I wanted you to see it, too."

Slowly but surely, he found that she was starting to grow, to embrace the strength that laid deep within her, but he also watched it falter on more than one occasion. Like the time that they had danced in the diner. He knew why she wanted to do it, but he wouldn't deny her it. Sometimes life was a lesson you had to learn the hard way.

"Then came that winter in your studio when I was shot. Nothing stayed the same after that." Jason glances over at her vitals, still as weak as ever, forcing himself to look at her instead of the machines. "Once again, I had no words for what you made me think or how you made me feel. As much as I wanted to stay in that studio with you and never leave it, I knew that I had to give you the chance to live your life. After saving my life, it was the least that you deserved."

_This life would kill me if I didn't have you_  
_I couldn't live without you baby_  
_I wouldn't want to_  
_If you didn't love me so much_  
_I'd never make it through_  
_'Cause this life would kill me_  
_This life would kill me if I didn't have you_

"For years we both tried to push each other away while holding on at the same time." Jason takes another deep breath, the pain in his heart almost unbearable at this point. "We tested each other, pushing each other to the brink of insanity, seeing how far we could take it before either of us just cut all ties, but it never happened. No matter how hard we pushed, no matter how far we took it, we always found our way back to this friendship...back to each other. While others have come and gone, we're still here."

_You are my heart, every breath I breathe_  
_I'm safe in your arms, you rescue me._  
_When I'm weak, you're strong_  
_If you were gone I don't know where I'd be_  
_You were made for me_  
_(You were made for me)_

"I guess, in a way, I relied on it more than either of us thought I did." Jason gently strokes her hand with his thumbs. "Like in the chapel, when Emily thought she was dying and I held you close while you sat beside me. I never admitted it, but you were holding me together without even knowing it. You thought that I was just doing what I always do, helping keep you in one piece, but you were doing the same for me...you kept me sane."

_This life would kill me if I didn't have you_  
_I couldn't live without you baby_  
_I wouldn't want to_  
_If you didn't love me so much_  
_I'd never make it through_  
_'Cause this life would kill me_  
_This life would kill me if I didn't have you_

"Then when Sam lost her baby and I had been so lost...there you were again." Jason shakes his head. "The short time I spent with you and Cam, as brief as it had been, it helped me more than I could ever put into words. I had thought it would hurt to hold him, but it was the exact opposite and I had been beyond grateful to you for giving me that moment. A moment to hold onto."

In spite of himself, Jason glances over at the machines, his heart weighing heavily in his chest, seeing that her vitals haven't changed. Though her vitals are stable, they're still weak, still unbearably weak. Knowing there was nothing he could do, no one he could intimidate to save Elizabeth, no one he could shoot to save her, Jason was at a complete loss. He had only one choice he could make, to continue talking to her and hope against hope that she can hear him. That it'll pull her out of this and bring her back to him.

"There was also the time that Emily and Sonny decided that they wanted to be together and nothing could stop them." Jason points out, licking his lips when they suddenly feel desert dry. "While everyone told me what I was doing was wrong, judging me for the choices I made, you didn't. You told me how it was, you explained why you felt what you felt about it, but - in the end - you understood. Something that no one else could do. You understood me."

_If you didn't love me so much_  
_(If you didn't love me so much)_  
_This life would kill me if I didn't have you_  
_(This life would kill me)_  
_Couldn't live without you baby_  
_I wouldn't want to_

"The list goes on, but none more significant than the night of the blackout when you saved me once again." Jason reaches one hand to gently touch her cheek with the back of his fingers. "I wanted to drown myself in alcohol, to forget my life and the choices I made that brought me to that godforsaken day, but you wouldn't let me. You pulled me back into the present, right into the moment with you, and you let me live in it. For as long as it lasted, no one outside of those four walls mattered, not Sam sleeping with Ric or the onslaught of people that had warned me of what my choices could bring. No one but us."

_If you didn't love me so much_  
_I'd never make it through_  
_'Cause this life would kill me_  
_This life would kill me if I didn't have you_

"You told me something that night, something I hadn't expected, but it put everything into perspective." Jason drops his hand back to hold hers again. "You told me that I never really knew just how much you fell in love with me and, in truth, I didn't. Up until the night we shared, I didn't even realize just how in love I was with you...but I know now and I need the chance to tell you...I need to be able to look you in the eyes and tell you that I'm in love with you...that I want you...that I need you. I need you to know everything you have been and always will be to me."

When her vitals don't change in the least, Jason lays his head down atop of their joint hands and closes his eyes. More and more as the minutes pass by, he feels like he's falling apart at the seams, unable to see himself making it any further if she doesn't make it past this. He can't eat, he can't sleep, he's starting to take each day one hour at a time.

"Please, don't give up." Jason begs her, tears sliding down his cheeks, feeling her weak pulse barely thumping against his touch. "Whatever you do, Elizabeth, don't give up."

_***song: If I Didn't Have You by Thompson Square***_


	22. Chapter 22

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Morning came, once again, with Elizabeth still laying unconscious in the hospital bed, no signs of getting better, but thankfully no signs of getting worse either. Stretching the fatigue from his body, Jason rubs his face with both his hands before running his fingers through his hair, having gotten at least a couple hours of sleep this time. More than he's gotten since Patrick told him about her condition, that's for sure.

"Sonny?" Jason looks at him confusedly when he knocks on the door and walks in. "What are you doing here?"

"Not really sure." Sonny admits, placing a vase of flowers down on the side table. "Ever since Emily told me about her...I don't know...I wanted to do something."

Glancing over at the flowers, Jason couldn't help but sigh, somehow knowing that he should have expected them sooner or later. Now that Sonny has made the first move by buying flowers for Elizabeth, he knows that more would soon follow. No one wanting to be outshone by Sonny Corinthos in the caring department.

"What?" Sonny questions, confused by Jason's expression towards the flowers. "You don't like them?"

"Its fine." Jason says simply, diverting his eyes away from the flowers and back to Sonny. "You were saying?"

"What? Oh, right." Sonny shakes his head, glancing over at Elizabeth. "I was saying that I wanted to do something...so, what can I do?"

"If there was something to do, I'd be doing it." Jason says plainly, taking a deep breath. "There's nothing to do, but wait."

"Maybe I can sit by her for you." Sonny suggests, seeing that Jason desperately needed sleep. "You can go home and wash up...get some rest."

"I use the facilities here at the hospital." Jason says simply. "As for sleep...it doesn't matter where I am, I'm not getting any until she gets better."

Seeing the sincerity in Jason's eyes, Sonny knew better than to contradict what he was saying. It was obvious that he had completely misjudged the connection that Jason shares with Elizabeth, but it was abundantly clear now and there was no getting around it. He couldn't get Jason to leave the business when it was Robin, but maybe now he'll be able to get out with Elizabeth.

Staying for a moment longer, Sonny takes his leave, set on doing whatever it took to give Jason an out. The last time that Sonny tried to set Jason free from the business, he had taken it the wrong way and took it as Sonny no longer needing him or wanting him. The look on Jason's face, however, told him enough. He'll want the out and Sonny had to make sure that it was there for him.

"So, its true?" Carly's voice stops Sonny as he's walking away from Elizabeth's room. "He's really here slaving over that little muffin face?"

"Don't." Sonny stops her from making it to the door. "This isn't the time for one of your tantrums."

"Let go of me!" Carly snaps, yanking her arm from his grasp. "When Sam told me that he was looking after that brat, I couldn't believe my ears. He has better things to do than fall for her crap!"

"Says you." Sonny states, glaring at her. "I hate to break it to you, Carly, but you're the last thing Jason needs right now."

"And Elizabeth's what he needs?"

"Come here." Sonny grabs her arm once again, dragging her over to the door. "Look at him, really look at him, Carly! Open your eyes for once in your life and really look at the man you call your best friend! What do you see?"

Carly was about to cuss him out for treating her so crudely, but Jason's face came into view before a single word could slip from her mouth. Sitting by the hospital bed, pain clearly written all over his face, a deep emotional heartache visible for all to see, Carly was at a loss for words.

Standing there, she was mentally taken back to the moment that she had seen the two of them dancing in Kelly's, sending a stabbing pain through her heart. Like then, she could see what she had long since tried to deny, ever since that day at Kelly's, he loves her.

"Is she dying?" Carly asks on a hushed tone, turning to look at Sonny.

"Not if Jason has any say in it." Sonny says simply. "You need to let him go."

"He's my best friend."

"And he's upheld his part more than enough times over the years." Sonny remembers his conversation with Emily, using her point to get through to Carly. "Its your turn. You need to let him go."

"How?" Carly questions, looking at him seriously. "How do I let go of the one person that accepts me, flaws and all?"

"He's not the only person that accepts you." Sonny points out, forcing himself to say this next part. "You've got Jax...he's good for you. Let him fill that place in your life."

"What about you?" she counters, looking at him intently. "If I give up Jason...will I still have you?"

"Only when you really need me." Sonny says softly, knowing he had to put distance between them. "I have to go, but just remember...you have a good thing with Jax. Don't let the past mess it up."

Watching Sonny walk away, Carly fought herself tooth and nail, refraining from kicking the door open and demanding that Jason not let Elizabeth's situation become his whole life. That she didn't deserve him and that he should be somewhere else, anywhere else but there with that muffin face.

Swallowing her pride, she takes one last look at Jason and Elizabeth before spinning on her heels and walking away. As hard as it was going to be, it was time that Carly finally listened to the signs and accepted that it was and probably always will be about muffin face. Getting on the elevator, she calls up Jax and makes plans to meet at her place. Needing to see him. Now more than ever.

While she makes her way back to Jax's arms, Robin and Patrick are completely confused by the results of Elizabeth's tests. They've run them over and over again yet the anomaly was still there. A strange, morphed, string of antibodies keep popping up on her lab results, a type of antibody that no one was accustomed to.

"Where are her scans?" Robin questions, rifling through the files before them.

"Here." Patrick points out when he sees them under the other stack. "Why? Do you know what it is?"

"Call it a hunch." Robin says as she walks over to pin up the scans. "Oh, my gosh...this is...unbelievable."

"What? What is it?" Patrick questions, rushing over to her side. "What do you see?"

"Its what I don't see." Robin circles the spots from Elizabeth's old scans and the newer ones. "The benign tumors are disappearing. Three have already disappeared."

"Wha...how is that possible?" Patrick looks between the two set of scans and, sure enough, the tumors they didn't feel the need to take out just yet have begun to disappear. "Do you know what this means?"

"It means that her body is healing itself." Robin says, truly and deeply astonished. "With the malignant tumors removed, her body is starting to fight back."

"Exactly." Patrick breathes a breath of relief, having been agonizing over the fact that he might have pushed Elizabeth's body too far during the surgery. "If it keeps fighting off the tumors, she's liable to live past this."

"Here's to hoping."

While they continue to analyze the rest of Elizabeth's scans and lab results, Diane makes her way to Elizabeth's room, deciding that she had best see how her client's doing. From the updates that she has been receiving, it didn't look like she was getting any better and she felt the need to drop in and see her. A first for her, but Diane accepts the strange urges that this case has brought on for her.

"She's stable." Jason tells Diane, answering the questioning look on her face. "There's no change, but she's stable."

"Right." Diane shakes her head, glancing at Elizabeth before turning to Jason, pulling out an envelope from her briefcase. "Here."

"What's that?"

"A letter." Diane says simply, handing it to him. "She wrote it just before she started to protocol."

"Um...thanks." Jason says, holding the letter in his hands. "I...I appreciate it."

"Call me if there's any changes and we'll call it even." Diane says simply, securing her briefcase in her hand. "You don't need anything do you?"

"No." Jason assures. "I'm fine."

"Okay then." Diane walks over to the door. "You know my number if you do."

Waiting long enough for the door to shut behind Diane, he opens the envelope to read the letter, holding it in one hand before slipping his other hand into hers. Taking a deep breath, he looks at Elizabeth for a long moment before focusing on the letter that she had written for him.

_Dear Jason,_

_I don't know how I didn't see this coming. After all we've been through, I should be used to you popping back into my life when I need you most._  
_After I was diagnosed, you were the first person that I wanted to tell. I wanted to go to you and ask you to help me. To help make it all better, but_  
_I just couldn't. From what everyone was saying, you were trying to fix things with Sam and I didn't want my condition to get in the way of that._  
_So much for that, huh? At the end of it all, here we are, just like always._

_No matter what happens between us, no matter how bad it gets, we always seem to find our way back to this friendship. Back to each other. If I'm_  
_being honest, I know that I've come to rely on that a little too much. Which was the whole reason why I landed on your doorstep the night of the blackout._  
_When my life was falling apart, I knew that the only person I could truly trust, that I could count on to be there, was you. Then it turned into something more_  
_than I had expected and I was truly thankful. For one moment in time, we were in sync. For once we finally had the timing right and I got to live in that moment_  
_because of you._

_So, no matter how this thing goes, whether the protocol works or not, if I survive the surgery or not, I want you to know that you have been and always would be_  
_a huge part of my life. After everything we've been through, you are a huge part of what has made me the woman I am today. Not that many significant memories I have,_  
_from the moment I moved to Port Charles, doesn't include you. I trust you more than anyone and I want you to know that._

_I also want you to know that if I don't make it, I want you to take care of Cameron for me. I've already taken the appropriate measures to ensure that it happens and I'm_  
_hoping that you will be okay with that. Cameron needs someone like you in his life. Someone that will love him and treat him like their own. Someone that knew his mother_  
_for the person she truly was and that person is you. I don't know anyone else that truly knows me the way you do._

_Maybe its asking too much, maybe I should have asked someone else, but when I thought of the one person that I could trust my son to...the only person I could think of was you._  
_I'm hoping that you'll honor my choice and take him in because not only does he need you, but I know you need him, as well._

_Anyway, its time for Robin to start me on the protocol and you'll be back soon, so I'll end this here. I just hope you know how much you mean to me and that I will always_  
_be grateful for having you in my life. I wouldn't change a single moment with you. I wouldn't trade a single moment for anything in the world._

_Always and Forever,_  
_Elizabeth_


	23. Chapter 23

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Like he predicted, Elizabeth's room has begun to fill up with flower bouquets of many different sizes. Glancing around the room, Jason had the itching feeling to grab a large garbage bag and violently snatch each and every one, sending them straight to the dump. Controlling the urge to rid the room of the bouquets, he takes a deep breath before walking out of the room, knowing the flowers wouldn't survive if he sat there for a moment longer.

Making the venture to the daycare to check in on Cameron, he watches the little boy playing with the other kids before making his way up to the roof, desperately in need of some fresh air. He knew he couldn't go on like this for much longer, but he also knows that there isn't anything he can do about it. Sleep just wasn't within his grasp, no matter how hard he tries, he just can't seem to gain some peace of mind to fall into a peaceful slumber.

Staring out at the town below, Jason takes a deep breath in, the tightness in his chest still unbearable tight, wishing that things would finally start looking up. He's tried everything he could possibly think to try. He has begged, pleaded, prayed and confessed...what more was there for him to do? If only someone could just tell him what he needed to do, he would do it.

He'd do, say, and try anything. Just as long as it resulted in Elizabeth making it past this. Only there wasn't anything else he could do. Nothing more he could possibly say. Nothing left for him to try. He's done everything and anything that he possibly could and still nothing has worked. Nothing has helped. Nothing works.

Just as he's about to turn around and walk back into the hospital, a strong wind blows through town, crashing into Jason, sending a feeling through him that he hasn't felt in such a long time. A slight smile gracing his lips, Jason shakes his head before staring up at the skies. Point taken, loud and clear.

Taking in one last deep breath of fresh air, he makes his way back into the hospital, back to Elizabeth. As he gets closer and closer, a sinking feeling starts spreading through him as he's nearing her room. Something was happening. Something bad. Running as fast as his legs could take him, Jason gets to her doorway just as Patrick and Robin start taking out the paddles to revive her.

"Clear!" Patrick snaps, settling the paddles against her chest for the fifth time with no affect whatsoever. "Again!"

"Patrick..." Robin places her hand on his arm.

"I said, again!" Patrick states angrily. "She's not dying! Not like this!"

"Patrick..." Robin tries again as the nurses set the machine up for another go. "Please...think about this."

"She was getting better." Patrick says irritably. "Why would she start getting better just to die?"

"It happens all the time." Robin points out as he demands another clear and lays the paddles to Elizabeth once again. "Patients get one last burst of health before they die...its unfair, but it happens...you have to..."

"I don't have to do anything, but save her!" Patrick demands another go, the nurses staring at him in shock. "Again!"

"Patrick, you need to stop." Robin says seriously, tears falling from her eyes. "She's...she's gone. Please...please stop."

As the words fall from her lips, Jason feels like the world has slipped out from beneath him, his sister's words playing in his head over and over again. This can't be real. This just can't really be happening. Yet, there he stood, there they stood, Elizabeth lifeless on the bed, not a single dry eye in the room. Not even hers.

Patrick stares at Elizabeth for a moment before he finally gives in, handing Robin the paddles, he takes a couple stumbling steps back, unable to believe that he couldn't do it. That after everything he had put into it, he still wasn't able to save her. All the convincing it took for Elizabeth to let him operate and for what? For nothing. Because there she laid, lifeless and limp, her future gone. Cameron's future hanging in the balance. He failed.

Glancing around the room at all the bouquets of flowers, Jason's eyes look from Robin to Patrick before finally landing on Elizabeth. The irony of the moment was just too much. From the flowers to the medical personnel standing around her, it was all just too much. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be his reality. She was supposed to survive for Cameron. For the future she wanted to have. For him.

"No!" Jason practically shouts, charging into the room, gaining everyone's attention. "She's not dead!"

"Jason!" Robin tries to stop him as he moves to start manual CPR on Elizabeth. "Jason, stop!"

"No, you stop!" Jason snaps, pulling out his gun and aiming it at her. "The only way she's going to die is if I die first!"

"Jason, please!" Robin pleads with him, staring down the barrel of his gun. "This isn't what she would have wanted. Think of Cameron..."

"That's what I'm doing!" Jason shouts. "Get out! All of you, get out!"

"Jason..." Robin tries again.

"I will shoot you to save her, Robin." Jason says sternly. "Whether you like it or not...I'm not giving her up without a fight."

Unable to believe the man standing before her, Robin slowly makes her way out of the room with the rest of the hospital staff, only one remaining. Patrick meets Jason's eye before he starts doing what he can to save Elizabeth, Jason slamming the door shut before focusing on Elizabeth. The only way she's going to die is if he lets her and that's something that'll never happen.

"What's going on?" Emily asks Robin when she gets to group standing outside of Elizabeth's room.

"Elizabeth's...she's..." Robin shakes her head. "Jason chased us out at gun point...they won't accept it...that she's..."

"That's she's what?" Emily looks at her seriously. "You can't mean that..."

"I'm sorry." Robin shakes her head. "We tried...I really thought..."

"Get out of my way." Emily shouts, pushing her way through the small crowd, making her way into the hospital room. "What can I do to help?"

Hard at work, Emily helps the other two to save Elizabeth, pulling out all the stops to pull her back to the land of the living. Jason begs and pleads with her the whole time, urging her to hold on, to pull herself back to them, that it wasn't her time. He begs her to think of all the could do, all the things they still had left to see, to experience.

"Think of Italy! There's no way you can give up without ever seeing it for yourself." Jason begs her. "You have to give me the chance to take you there! You have to let me prove to you that the light in Italy is unlike anywhere else in the world! You can't give up! You can't!"

Emily's tears start to well up in her eyes the more Jason begs and pleads, fighting to keep the hope while all seems lost. It seemed the the harder they tried, the farther gone she was getting and soon they would have to face reality. Catching the phrase in her head, she shakes it away abruptly. This isn't their reality. She can't accept it. She won't.

"I love you!" Jason frames her face in his hands, laying his forehead to hers. "I love you, Elizabeth! Please...please come back to me. Without you...I can't live in a world without you in it. I need you, Elizabeth...I need you."

"Jason, look!" Emily points at the monitors, prompting Jason to lift his teary gaze, both watching as a true miracle happens before their eyes. "She's...she's back!"

"You did it." Patrick clasps Jason on his shoulder. "You saved her."

"Do you really believe that?" Jason looks at him intently. "That I'm the one that saved her?"

"You didn't give up." Patrick says simply, shaking his head. "When the rest of us were about to walk away, you stepped up and kept fighting. So...yeah. I really believe you saved her."

Turning his gaze back to Elizabeth, he holds her hand in his as Patrick directs the hospital personnel back into the room to wheel Elizabeth down for more tests. As the prepare her for transport, Patrick watches as Jason leans in to whisper something in her ear before allowing the nurses to take Elizabeth.

"Jason..." Robin tries to say something further, but the look on his face stops her.

"Just go." Jason says plainly. "I can't do this right now."

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry." Robin says, heartbroken. "If I knew..."

"Just go." Jason says firmly. "Patrick can handle the rest of Elizabeth treatment."

"Jason..." Robin couldn't believe her ears, but she simply turns around and walks away after looking at him for a moment longer.

"Can I ask you what you said to Elizabeth?" Patrick questions, saddened by what Jason had said to Robin, but knowing that it was Jason's right to send her away.

"I thanked her for fighting her way back to me." Jason concedes, shaking his head, turning away from the door that Robin had walked out of. "I thanked her for not giving up."


	24. Chapter 24

_Title: Don't Give Up_  
_Circa: 2006_  
_Significant Change: Story plot takes the place of the pregnancy storyline._  
_Disclaim everything recognizable as thought up by those behind the soap opera known as General Hospital._

Like the first rays of sunshine breaking through the dark night, the hospital lights break through the fog that has clouded her mind, bringing her eyes back into focus as she blinks away the remnants of the darkness she had been consumed by. Slowly, her senses start to return to her, the feeling of cold air drifting over her entire body, the distinct sanitizing smell reaching her nose before long. Never in her entire life would she have thought that she'd love that smell, but she does. Just being able to smell it, there's no better smell in the world at the moment.

As the world settles in around her, her own physical condition starts to weigh in. The fatigue. The pain. The weakness. All of it starts to be felt abundantly, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, she feels it all. It was all so blissfully bittersweet and she didn't mind. She didn't mind the godawful smell of the hospital, she didn't mind the condition her body is in, she didn't mind anything at all. All of it being a true symbol of her continued existence. She's alive, she's breathing, and there was no way she'd complain about that.

Taking in her surroundings, it takes her but a few moments to realize where she was in the hospital, the MRI lab. The machine was off, she's laying just shy of the machine, which meant the either she was getting tested or the test had been concluded and they would be coming soon to wheel her out of the room. Ignoring the pain from the simple task, she tilts her head up to find the observation room, finding Patrick sitting vigilant, his attention solely on the screens. From the look of his body language, she assumes that the test had been done and he was going over it once more.

Turning her head back, she allows her eyes to slowly close, the fatigue too much for her to keep fighting it. As much as she wanted to remain conscious, a calm feeling spreads through her, making her feel like it was okay to allow the fatigue to take over. That somehow, someway, she would be okay. So, accepting the feeling, she closes her eyes and allows her mind to drift off into a peaceful slumber.

While she's drifting back to sleep, Patrick prints out the scans that he had been analyzing, calling for the orderlies to wheel Elizabeth back upstairs to her room while he goes over the tests in his office. Placing a soft kiss upon her forehead, he waits long enough for them to wheel her onto the elevator before heading off to his office to make sure that his findings was legit and he wasn't seeing what he wanted to see.

"Tell me I'm really seeing this." Patrick says to Epiphany when he calls her into his office. "Tell me that its really gone...that they're all gone."

"If you're referring to the tumors, Dr. Drake, then yes." Epiphany looks at him intently. "Your eyesight is quite accurate."

"They're gone." Patrick says in a hushed tone before a smile spreads across his checks. "They're really gone!"

"I think we've established that."

"I could just about kiss you right now, Epiphany!" Patrick exclaims, backing away when she glares at him. "Which I won't do...I have to get to her room."

"Yeah, you do that."

Quickly leaving his office, Patrick makes the venture to Elizabeth's room, finding Jason exactly where he knew he'd be, sitting by Elizabeth's bed. The moment he opens the door, he gains Jason's full attention as he slowly shuts it behind him. Slowly Jason rises to his feet, meeting his eyes as he waits for what Patrick had obviously gone there to tell him. Glancing at Elizabeth, he takes a deep breath before he allows the slight smile to grace his lips, thankful that he's able to give this news to Jason, that he was able to even say the words at all.

"She's going to make it past this." Patrick concedes, watching as the hope begins to fill Jason's eyes. "All the tumors that I didn't remove during the operation have dissolved into nothing. They're all gone."

Turning his gaze to Elizabeth, Jason couldn't help but let the hope seep into his heart, the tightness in his chest starting lessen more and more. For the first time since she had gone through the surgery, he's finally able to breathe again, finally able to feel the hope, to let faith back into his heart. Slowly sinking down into the chair, he takes her hand in his, lifting it to his lips to place a soft kiss upon it. No matter what it took to get them to this moment, he doesn't care, just knowing that she was safe again, all of it was worth it. Every last painful moment.

"She should be waking up any moment now." Patrick divulges. "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, she'll be just fine."

"Thank you." he says on a hushed tone, glancing over at Patrick for a moment. "Thank you for not giving up."

"If not for you, I would have." Patrick points out. "So, thank you."

Shaking his head, Jason turns back to Elizabeth, barely noticing as Patrick walks out of the room, giving them some privacy. As the door shuts firmly, Jason allows himself to relish in this moment, in the fact that Elizabeth's condition has reversed and she was back to normal, healthy. Taking a deep breath, feeling the tightness continuing to dissolve by the minute, he thanks Elizabeth once again. He thanks her for fighting, for making her way back, for simply breathing. Something he has learnt throughout this whole ordeal, as long as she continues to breathe, anything is possible.

Laying his head down on their joint hands, he closes his eyes for a moment, simply taking in the strong thumping of her pulse against the tips of his fingers. He swears he could live till the end of the world and nothing would ever compare to that simple thumping coming from her wrist, the most simplest of signs that she was okay, that she was there, that she was alive. What he was feeling in that moment, as her pulse grew stronger, couldn't possibly be put into words. Like many times in their relationship, he just couldn't describe how she made him feel, something he truly didn't mind.

"Hey." Emily kneels down beside Jason, smiling when he lifts his gaze to meet hers. "Patrick just told me the good news. Just when you start to believe the impossible was still impossible, this happens."

"It all seems unreal." Jason admits, glancing over at Elizabeth. "Sometimes I feel like I'm going to wake up and this has all been a dream."

"I feel like that almost every day." Emily concedes, gaining her brother's attention. "In a way, the dream is coming to an end because she's better now. The tumors are gone and she can finally put it behind her."

"Yeah, you're right." Jason shakes his head, knowing he's finally getting what he wanted. "All that's left now is for her to wake up."

"And she will." Emily says with confidence. "She's fought to get herself this far...she'll continue to fight until she's all better. Trust that."

She stays for a moment longer, simply keeping her brother company as they watch over her best friend, before she rises to her feet once again and prepares to leave. Hugging her brother, she kisses his cheek and reiterates the fact that she's there if he needs her. To talk or whatever, just to remember that he's not alone in this. With I love yous exchanged, he watches her leave, settling back into his chair once the door shuts behind her.

Holding Elizabeth hand in his, once again, he mentally points out the fact that his sister didn't need to tell him about Elizabeth's will to fight or the fact that he should trust it. If nothing else, Jason has learnt to trust Elizabeth a long time ago. Even when she doesn't believe it herself, he always believes in her will to fight and her strength to survive.

After everything she's been through, he knew that - if given the chance - she would always come out on top. No matter what the situation was, no matter how impossible it may all seem, he trusts that she would always prevail. Thankfully, now more than ever, his trust in her has been strengthened even further.

"Whenever you're ready." he says softly, taking a deep breath, reaching over to caress her cheek. "Whenever you're ready to wake up, I'll be right here waiting."

Settling back into the chair, her hand firmly held in his, Jason closes his eyes in hopes of a peaceful slumber. Now that she's okay, now that he knows for sure that she's safe, Jason wanted nothing more than to fall asleep, needing to be alert and strong enough for her when she wakes up.

If it was evident enough that he needed sleep, pulling his gun on Robin had pretty much sold him on the fact that he needed to get some sleep before he completely loses his mind. All these sleepless nights combined have done nothing good for his mental state. Had Robin really pushed him to it, he's not even sure if he would have really stopped himself from shooting her. That, in itself, was a horrifying thought.

It would take hours before the fog lifts once again, only this time it wasn't the light that breaks through her weary state, this time its Jason's hand in hers that pulls her back to consciousness. As her eyes adjust, everything falls back onto her, just like before. The pain, the fatigue, the full body aching, everything. Her attention, though, is pulled to the hand that holds hers.

A slight smile touches her lips as she watches him, sleeping soundly in what had to be the most uncomfortable chair known to man, yet he was sleeping in it just the same. As much as the fatigue was fighting to pull her back under, she's fighting back just as hard to stay awake. She just couldn't bear to take her eyes off of him. He has never looked more breathtaking than he does in that moment and that was saying something.

She wasn't sure what it was or how he knew, wishing he'd stay asleep, Elizabeth watches as Jason's eyes shoot open before he runs one hand down his face. Smiling slightly, she waits for him to look at her, knowing he will. It takes a moment before his eyes meet hers, an emotion flooding them before he sits up, suddenly realizing that she was really awake.

"Hi." she whispers, a soft smile playing at her lips.

"Hi." he whispers, unable to believe that she was really awake, that she was talking to him. "You okay?"

"Yeah." she laughs softly, ignoring the headache that results from it. "I'm okay."

"I'm...I'm gonna go get Patrick." Jason tries to stand up to walk out of the room when she holds tightly to his hand. "What's wrong?"

"Not yet." she says simply, gesturing for him to sit down. "I'm sure he's asleep by now."

"Okay." Jason could see something else in her eyes, but he doesn't contradict her. He simply remains in his seat, holding her hand. "You're really okay, though?"

"I'm really okay." she promises, glancing down at their hands before looking up at him. "Are you okay? You look like you haven't slept in days."

"I haven't." Jason admits, shaking his head when she looks at him in shock. "I got a few hours here and there...I'm okay, Elizabeth. You don't have to worry about me."

"Would you accept that if it were me saying it?" Elizabeth counters, looking at him seriously. "I'll answer that for you, the answer's no."

"Elizabeth..." he tries to protest when she starts to move over. "What are you doing?"

"Making some room for you." Elizabeth says, inching her way over to make room for him to sleep. "You need to sleep and there's no way you'll be able to sleep on that thing."

"Its against hospital regulations for me to sleep in your bed."

"Since when do you care about hospital regulations?" Elizabeth counters. "There's enough room in this bed for both of us."

"Okay." he finally gives in, slowly making his way into bed with her, wrapping his arm around her when she turns her back to him. "Let me know if I'm hurting you, okay?"

"You could never hurt me." she says simply, closing her eyes as she secures his arm around her. "Goodnight, Jason."

"Goodnight, Elizabeth." Jason smiles slightly as her breathing levels out and she falls into a peaceful slumber. "Sweet dreams, beautiful."


End file.
